In His Shadow
by hpenchantress
Summary: Chris has always felt inferior to Wyatt, the Twice-Blessed. Suddenly demons are after Chris, and he must defeat them and find a way to prove he is just as good as Wyatt, but what is the reason they are after him in the first place? COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed

(A/N) This is a Chris-centric story, taking place in the changed future. Wyatt was never evil (as future Chris managed to keep that from happening), and it is about 17 years after the Charmed Finale, in a time when Chris is struggling a bit with who he is.

Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Chapter 1<p>

The most powerful demon in the underworld walked slowly through the room, passing several other demons, and towards the center. He'd been chosen to lead evil in these troubled times, and so, he was getting crowned as the new Source of All Evil.

As he walked, he kept a serious look on his human-seeming face, though inside he felt like jumping for joy and killing a couple of witches, just for the hell of it. Getting such a high position on the demon food chain was no small feat, even for him. Ever since the Twice-Blessed had begun demon hunting, Sources kept getting killed, and the underworld looked for even stronger leaders to help them through these awfully good times.

'_The Twice-Blessed'_, even thinking about the most powerful magical being on Earth made the demon curl his lip slightly in disgust. The other Sources hadn't stood a chance against such power. Although, the Twice-Blessed had never defeated those particular demons alone. He'd had help from his aunts, the Charmed Ones, another force of great good.

Shaking himself slightly to rid himself of such good thoughts, the demon stepped on the slightly raised dais, into the center of a star-like figure, and placed his hand on the Grimoire, as the ceremony dictated. He repeated the words that the dark priest was saying almost automatically. They'd practiced this so many times, he could probably do it in his sleep.

Thinking about his new high standing, he carefully kept an expression of seriousness on his face, looking for all the world like he was crowned the Source every day. This was meant to keep the demons under his control. He couldn't afford to let a single emotion, a single expression of weakness, even flicker across his face. Another demon could take advantage of that, and topple him from his well-earned position. He wouldn't risk such a thing happening, he'd wanted this for too long.

However, he wasn't likely to keep it for very long. The Twice-Blessed grew even more powerful every day, and the multiple attempts to do him in had all been for naught. The man was still alive and kicking, very much so.

If the demon wanted to stay the Source for some time, he'd have to find a way to eliminate the Twice-Blessed. The enormity of this task daunted him slightly. To face the Twice-Blessed was to practically commit suicide, especially because you could never get him while he was alone. He always had a magical family member by his side, whether it was his mother, one of his aunts, his siblings, or his cousins. The Charmed family had grown to a status of nearly untouchable, the very highest members of the food chain. Most demons even refused to hunt in San Francisco because of the enormous magical good that the city contained.

The demon turned to face his subjects, as the new Source of All Evil. He felt all the badness on Earth seeping into the underworld, and making its way into his body. Inhaling, he felt as all those negative feelings inundated all his senses. His power increased, and he shivered slightly in excitement. Now, he'd have powers he'd only dreamed of having before. Now, he might actually stand a chance in a world that was mostly good.

But, first things first, to keep feeling this evil, there was one vital thing to be done… something that took precedence over all other duties and activities. He'd have to dedicate his entire life to this, if he wished to continue living. He had to achieve this particular goal, no matter the cost.

He had to eliminate the Twice-Blessed.

* * *

><p>(AN) I know it's short, but this is actually more of a prologue. The real action will begin in a few chapters, and they will increase in length, trust me. I will be posting a chapter every week, probably on Fridays (yet another reason to look forward to that day!), so, stay tuned! I promise it will get really good really soon!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The new Source of All Evil made his way through the darkened passageways in direction of the chambers of the only person who could help him. Before doing this, he'd carefully evaluated the importance of every single demon who had helped him somehow to gain the power he now had, but had arrived at only one conclusion. To eliminate the Twice-Blessed, once and for all, the Source would have to go to the Seer.

The Seer wasn't a demon in the most practical sense of the word. She had absolutely no demon blood in her, she was pure witch. Her family had been gifted with the magic of foresight for generations, and they had used it for good. Until one day, a few years ago, when the Seer saw something terrible in her future, she had worked to eliminate evil. That was not so anymore. Except for her heritage, she was now completely demonic.

The Source swished his cape around the corner and finally arrived at the door he'd been seeking. It was elaborately decorated with ancient dark symbols, warding against trespassers and those who sought to do harm to the person living within. With a slight evil smirk, the Source burst the door open and entered.

The room was filled to the brim with treasures brought from demons who wanted a glimpse of the future for themselves. The Seer made good business by acting as a sort of fortune-teller for all creatures of evil who wanted it. Of course, they had to pay high prices. The room was filled with old amulets, magical weapons, and even with demonic powers.

Ignoring all the magical chicanery that was lying about, the Source walked up to the other end of the room, where the Seer was most likely reposing on her luxurious chaise longue.

Sure enough, there she was. The Source saw the Seer resting in a position that emphasized her every curve and great beauty. It looked like a natural position, but in truth, the Seer had diligently practiced it so she could cast her spell upon anyone who entered her chambers. She'd found it was a great deal easier to do business with a demon who was filled with lust than with any other emotion. Sometimes, the easiness of it surprised her. She would've thought that they'd guard themselves better, but they were just too easy, almost no fun at all.

The Seer had sensed the Source's approach ever since yesterday, when she'd glanced into her hand mirror to see exactly the same scene that was taking place right now. Looking up, she moved into a seated position, managing to make her body look even more appealing than in repose, and stretched.

"My liege," she said, her low voice as sensuous as she could make it. "What can I do for you?"

The Source stood stiffly, his dark cloak masking his features. "I should think you know already, Seer."

The Seer stood, a smile playing about her thick lips. "But the future may always change," she said, as she walked up to the Source. "One can never know if the object of the future changes his mind," she continued, as she stroked the Source's arm with her left hand, her fingernails scratching temptingly at the cloth. Her hand made its way up to the Source's back, as she began to work her spell. She walked to his other side, her hand never losing contact with the Source's hard muscles. "Or if there is a different reason for his coming," she whispered into his ear, having finally made her way to the Source's other side.

The Seer began to slide her hand down the Source's arm, but was effectively stopped by his fingers roughly encircling her wrist. "I'm not here to play games," he said, his voice partly angry, partly amused at her attempts to ensnare him. "You know what I want."

The Seer pulled her hand free before rubbing her bruised wrist. The pain on her face was covered with a sexy smirk. "And what shall you do in exchange, my liege?" The demon's title was pronounced with just a hint of mockery.

Hearing the mockery quite plainly, the Source felt his anger escalate. He usually was very patient with the Seer, she was invaluable to him, but at the moment he felt like she was completely wasting his time, trying to play around when very serious matters were at stake. Allowing his anger to take form, a fire ball made its way into his hand. "How about I let you live?" he said, his lips curling around his teeth in a sort of feral snarl.

The Seer only pouted as she saw that the Source was determined to be immune to her charms. She'd dealt with him before, not as the Source, but as a higher-level demon, but she'd never seen him this angry or determined. It frustrated her to no end, she who was used to having males, demon or not, wrapped around her little finger.

"All right," she finally sighed. The Seer walked over to where she'd left the hand-mirror she always used in her quest to seek out the future, conveniently placed on the floor nearby. She bent down, making sure the Source got a good view of her attributes, before straightening up, her golden-framed mirror in her hand.

Then, she made her way back to the Source, where he was standing impatiently. The Seer was known never to do any job for free, but when she was dealing with the Source, that reputation would have to wait. Besides, if her plans went well, she should get her reward soon enough.

The Source looked into the mirror eagerly, all the while trying to mask his true feelings behind an expression of seriousness near to boredom. The Seer just waved her hand over the glass, which instantly turned milky white with a dense fog.

"What do you wish to ask it?" she asked, as she began to call upon her powers of projected premonition.

"What is the Twice-Blessed's greatest weakness?" the Source breathed out, still staring fixedly at the mirror.

The Seer's power surged, and she closed her eyes in order to find out the answer quicker. Soon, there it was. The Seer allowed her power to flow into her fingertips and then into the mirror that she treasured so much. The fog began to disappear, and a face began to take shape inside of the glass. The brown hair was combed carelessly, nearly completely covering his forehead. The young man's green eyes shone with a seriousness that was uncanny, and told of how many things he'd seen, despite his young age.

The Source inhaled in surprise as he recognized the man's face, gazing at him through the glass.

The Seer only smiled appreciatively. Her power was working top-notch, as usual. She never expected otherwise, yet she was always pleased by the results it came up with.

"It appears that the Twice-Blessed's greatest weakness," she said, her low voice turning mysterious as she waited a beat before continuing, "is his brother."

* * *

><p>(AN) Oooh, very ominous, right? The Seer was surprisingly easy to write, and I quite enjoyed her character. I did not expect her to be like that, but, oh well... sometimes characters surprise you!

Oh, and I must admit I was surprised by the reaction this story got in just its first week of being released to the general public, but I'm ecstatic about it! Thanks so much, you guys! Especially doremishine itsuko and Deathsoul74, my first awesome reviewers! You guys rock! Also, thanks to those who Favorited, Alerted, etc... and to mclaughlin, who had a comment I thought I should address. In the Charmed storyline, I feel they didn't quite do Chris as much justice as they could have. In this story, I tried to actually let people know what his emotions are, and the problem with his feeling inferior is dealt with in this story. I tried really hard to equal both brothers in this story, and I hope you guys will think I sort of managed it, by the end this is over.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please read and review (reviews make me giddy and happy!)! Stay tuned for chapter 3 next week!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Wyatt lay snoring on one of the couches in front of the TV, the screen blaring out the news. His head lolled backwards over the cushions, and his feet sprawled in front of him, posing a threat to anyone crossing the room. His face was peaceful and serene, as it always was when asleep. Watching him, it would be hard to believe that the most powerful human in the world lay right there, looking every bit the lazy college student.

Suddenly, with a loud snort, Wyatt jerked awake. He looked around the room blearily, before blinking slowly. He'd fallen asleep again. It wasn't surprising, considering how late he'd been out hunting demons. Of course, that was all Chris's fault. He wouldn't have been so late if Chris would just agree to go hunting with him instead of studying. Really, the way the young man buried himself into his books, one would think he'd drown.

Wyatt rubbed at his eyes, pulling the skin around them mercilessly, before standing up and stretching. He refused to lie on the couch all day. If he needed to sleep, he'd go upstairs and nap in his bed.

Hearing some noise in the kitchen, he walked there quietly, still not completely awake yet. It was probably his mother, cooking up some of her masterpieces.

Wyatt stepped into the overheated kitchen and smiled. He was right; it was his mother making that noise. Her back was turned to him as she mixed something in a bowl; her long hair was hanging loose. Streaks of gray ran through the beautiful dark curtain. Piper had aged gracefully, and was still a very attractive woman. Her hair, which was usually straight, still shone brightly, almost as bright as her eyes, and her lean body stayed that way because of the great deal of exercise she did. The whole family was fit, in fact. With danger around every corner, they had to be. Even though Piper was nearing the age when most women would sit around and expect some grandchildren to come soon, she could still beat up a demon any day of the week.

"Hey, Mom," Wyatt said to Piper.

Piper gasped and jerked around, one hand protectively cradling the bowl she'd been mixing in, the other raised in her attacking stance.

Wyatt raised his hands. He was about to erect his shield when his mom lowered her hand and looked at him apologetically.

"Sorry, Wyatt, but you know better than to scare me," she chided him, as she grabbed the spoon she'd been using before and continued mixing.

Wyatt lowered his hands, and smiled. "Sorry, Mom," he said, before leaning against the counter and watching Piper continue her cooking. "Where is everyone?" he asked, even though he assumed the answer to his question was the usual one.

"Your father and Melinda went to Magic School already, and Chris wanted to get in some extra studying at the library," she said, not looking up at her son.

Wyatt sighed. Yes, he had assumed correctly. Leo still taught at the Magic School, having taken charge of it quite a while ago, and was now currently teaching his daughter. Melinda had been attending the school ever since she was very young, just like her brothers. Their parents had agreed that an education in magic was vital to every Halliwell. However, she'd been there longer than both boys, preferring to spend her middle and high school years there as well, instead of just her elementary. She was a hard worker, but not as much as Chris. Chris seemed to spend every single moment studying, although, he didn't study magic. In fact, the subject seemed to irritate him. Oh, he'd do it well enough, but he never seemed to be interested in it. Now that he was in college, he didn't even have time for it anymore. He was taking several classes, trying to do his best in the normal, day-to-day, subjects, instead of the supernatural ones.

Wyatt rolled his eyes as he thought about his little brother. They had used to be inseparable before, now it seemed that they kept seeing each other less and less. Of course, that was mostly because of Chris's insistence that college was a vital part of a normal life, and that doing well was important. Wyatt was in college as well, but he never took it that seriously. In fact, he was only majoring in one subject, while Chris was majoring in at least three, which was insane, in Wyatt's opinion.

"What are you cooking?" Wyatt asked his mom. Piper made the most delicious food ever, surpassing even the best five-star chefs.

"I thought I'd make some mango and coconut mousse," she said, not pausing in her mixing. "Your dad loves it," she added.

Not too long after she'd had Melinda, Piper had finally achieved her dream of opening a restaurant. It was a lot of work, but it was worth it. Piper worked hard at it, and the whole family took shifts there, besides the usual staff. Some days, such as today, Piper was even able to stay at home and manage the restaurant from there. She loved her little place, and was happiest when she was working in the kitchens, but managing a restaurant was difficult, and sometimes very demanding. At least she got the occasional breaks.

Wyatt smiled at his mother, and sneaked his finger into a nearby bowl. Piper nearly slapped his hand away, but instead, decided to pretend that she hadn't seen anything. She missed her sons, who were turning into young men, and the childish act pleased her, making her feel like Wyatt was ten years old again.

Going along with the pretending, Wyatt waited until his mother was looking away before he put his mousse-covered finger into his mouth. The mousse was warm, not having been put in the freezer yet, but it was still good.

A noise alerted him to look around, and he turned only to duck an energy ball headed straight at him. Piper yelled as the ball hit the wall nearby, and dropped her bowl. Wyatt effectively eliminated the demon using the power he'd inherited from his mother.

"You ok?" he called to Piper, not taking his eyes away from his surroundings.

"Just dandy," she said, upset that a demon had to come and ruin what had been a beautiful morning.

Wyatt straightened up, and looked over at his mother, who was crestfallen at the amount of the slippery yellow substance on the floor.

"I had just cleaned that," she muttered, frustrated.

Wyatt had just opened his mouth to reply when his mother yelled, spying something right behind him. She raised her hands and blew up another demon, who had been about to destroy more of her once-pristine kitchen.

Soon, it turned into a full-out battle. More demons kept shimmering in, but they were quickly gotten rid of by the two witches. Wyatt and Piper blew up demons left and right as more of them arrived.

Then, almost as suddenly as it had started, the fight ended. Piper gazed around the kitchen, wishing that she could just clean this all up by magic, as Wyatt's brow furrowed. It was unlike demons to attack them in their own home, unless they were really strong, and these hadn't been particularly powerful.

"That was weird," he said to himself, as he began to walk out of the room.

"Wait right there, mister," his mother scolded. "You're not leaving me to clean this all up by myself."

Wyatt sighed and turned around to look Piper in the face. "Mom, a bunch of demons just attacked us. Don't you think that gets a higher priority than the kitchen?" His mother would never change.

Piper thought for a second, then nodded. "You're right, demons top kitchen." She began to follow her son, when she returned and put the mousse that had survived into the fridge. Then, she finally followed her son out of the room, heading to the attic.

* * *

><p>(AN) I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter, and especially the appearance of Wyatt! I promise Chris will appear in the very next chapter, so keep an eye out for it. I promise it will be a very very exciting chapter, and you guys will love it.

Anyway, I wanted to mention that I took a bit of liberty with the kids' schooling. I just decided that it made sense that Piper and Leo would send their kids to magic school to learn to control their powers while young, and later let them into a regular school. Of course, I am the author of this story, so it's ok to fix some things, but I just thought I'd let you know that it isn't exactly canon.

Also, I want to thank the one marvelous person who reviewed the last chapter: Charrmed. Thanks so much for taking the time to read and review.

To the rest of you guys, enjoy this chapter, please continue reading, review if you can (reviews make me super extremely happy), and I'll see you next week with the next chapter. It might be a little late, posted on Saturday instead of Friday, 'cause I'm going to be on a plane that day, but I'll get it up as soon as I possibly can. Anyway, see ya! Enjoy!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

After reading the same sentence three times over, Chris finally slammed his book shut. He'd been in the library studying ever since early in the morning, and he was exhausted. Not only was the book so difficult that after every few words he had to consult a dictionary, but he hadn't gotten enough sleep lately. Of course, the source of his insomnia wasn't too hard to find. It was Wyatt. Wyatt had spent the last couple of days on a sort of 'demon hunt', and always, when he returned home, he'd stomp all over the place and make such a racket that it was impossible for anyone to get some rest.

Chris sighed as he began packing up all of his stuff. He'd come here to get some peace and quiet, but it seemed that it wasn't helping in anything but making him fall asleep. To really read this book, he'd need more than a couple of hours of rest, and a large cup of coffee.

Once all his stuff was put away, Chris hoisted his large, overfilled bag onto his shoulders and made his way to the exit. He smiled at the librarian on his way out, and she barely looked up from her papers to give him a small wave.

"Have a nice day now," she said to him.

Chris nodded, and left the quiet behind as he walked into the San Francisco streets. The city was alive with noise and movement, looking exactly the way anyone pictured it.

People jostled Chris slightly as he made his way against the current and towards the street that would lead him to the correct cable-cart stop.

Wyatt would usually insist that Chris just orb home and back, but Chris was against that. He didn't want to use magic, he kept protesting, he just wanted to blend in.

Chris had definitely inherited more from his mother than just his looks. Sure, he might have her hair, and a bit of her facial structure, but he also had her attitude towards magic. He agreed that it was completely necessary in some cases, but most of the time, he preferred to stick to the normal way of doing things.

This, in part, had a lot to do with Wyatt's amazing magic. Even as children, Chris hadn't felt as good as his brother in all that he did. He wasn't the 'Twice-Blessed', he wasn't the most powerful witch in the world… he was just an ordinary, common witch compared to his brother. In truth, Chris was more powerful than most witches, being the son of a Charmed One, but still, he always felt inferior to Wyatt. That was why he worked so hard at college. If Wyatt was the magical superstar, then Chris would be the normal superstar. He'd be the only one in the family to major in not only one, but three subjects, and ace them all.

However, acing all the subjects seemed a bit far-fetched at the moment, considering how tired he was. Chris rubbed at his eyes as he entered the darkened street.

For a moment, he was confused at the lack of people, cars, and just general movement. It almost seemed as if the alley had been flushed out of its usual business.

Shrugging the strange sensation off, Chris continued on his way, trying to ignore the feeling that someone was watching him from behind.

Suddenly, a strong arm wrapped around his throat and lifted him slightly off the ground as he was pressed into a supernaturally strong body. Chris's eyes widened as he was attacked. This never happened like this. Demons mostly didn't even dare to enter San Francisco, and they definitely wouldn't go after the son of a Charmed One.

Chris made a small choking noise as another demon shimmered in right in front of him. The demon had distinct marking on his face and arms, rather like tribal tattoos. His teeth were bared in a snarl as he gazed at Chris coldly.

A sharp pain pierced the young witch, and he would have screamed but for the pressure on his throat. As it was, a small strangled moan escaped his mouth, as the knife that had been pushed into his back, right under his ribcage, twisted violently.

The demon holding him growled into his ear. "Like that, don't ya?" he asked, before giving the knife another vicious twist.

Chris gasped in pain, and then in relief as the knife was pulled out. He felt warm blood begin to rush down his back, but he felt better now that the metal instrument was out of his body. The relief didn't last long, though. Sensing for his magic, Chris discovered that the pain had pushed it out of his mind. He couldn't escape.

The agony wasn't over yet. The demon standing in front of Chris grinned at the one holding him, looking pleased. "Why don't you make him suffer a little more?" he suggested, "Before we end this."

The demon holding Chris snarled slightly, as if in agreement, and then Chris felt some fingers tear into his wound.

Chris groaned and pulled frantically at the arm holding him, but the strong limb wouldn't budge. Giving up, Chris hung limply from the demon's grasp, tensing from time to time as the creature's fingers moved around inside of him.

Finally, the torture was over, and the fingers were extracted.

Chris couldn't see what was happening behind him, but from the sound of it, the demon was sucking his fingers clean of blood.

"Delicious," the demon muttered into Chris's ear, and Chris struggled futilely once more. The demon just laughed, and the marked creature in front of them approached. As he did, he pulled a long jagged knife out of his pocket.

Aiming it directly at Chris's chest, the tattooed demon glanced briefly into Chris's dulling eyes. "And so ends the life of the son of a Charmed One," he whispered.

At these words, Chris reached for his magic. He didn't care if the pain had forced it out of the way, he needed it now, and a Halliwell's magic was never too far away.

Thankfully, he found it just in time. Chris orbed out of the demon's grasp just as the tattooed demon drove the blade home.

Appearing just a short distance away, Chris watched as the marked demon successfully vanquished his partner in crime. The strong demon thrashed about for a moment as flames consumed him, and then he was gone.

The marked demon looked around frantically. He had to get this job done and eliminate this witch, the Source had commanded it.

He found his prey standing nearby, looking deathly pale. Smirking, the demon approached the witch, his knife still in his hand.

Chris only had to raise his arm to send a nearby trashcan flying at the demon who was walking towards him menacingly. The demon, seeing the can headed his way, instantly shimmered out.

Chris tensed, and he looked around the alley to see if the demon would simply appear anywhere else, but seeing that it had retreated, Chris straightened up.

Instantly, he wished he hadn't. His wound in his back was still gushing blood and causing him a great deal of pain. Biting his lip, he held back the yell that threatened to burst forth, as every movement sent stinging sensations into his right side.

Deciding not to follow his usual rules and take non-magical transport, Chris began to call upon his orbing power. It wasn't very easy. Not only had the pain made it a lot more difficult, but Chris's rapidly weakening body wouldn't be able to stand it very well. But still, Chris had to get back to the manor somehow.

Finally achieving his goal, Chris let the bluish-white lights consume him and transport his body back home.

* * *

><p>(AN) Here is the long awaited chapter, with Chris actually in it! I'm sorry I wasn't able to post this yesterday, but, as I mentioned, I was flying back home at the moment. Anyway, now it's here, and I wanted to thank a few people for posting reviews: Funnie and Charrmed. You guys make it more fun to update each new chapter!

Keep an eye out for the next one, that will be posted next Friday. For now, Happy Christmas! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please review if you can!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Wyatt looked back at his mother, who'd returned to the kitchen quickly, before shaking his head. Piper cared a great deal about her cooking, and sometimes the rest of the family found that strange. Of course, they were grateful afterwards, because Piper's care managed to not only feed everyone but it turned every single meal into a delicious one.

Piper saw her son's reaction. "What?" she asked. "If I hadn't put the mousse into the fridge, we wouldn't be able to have any later," she protested.

Wyatt just smiled and continued on his way to the stairs.

Suddenly, a loud thump was heard.

Wyatt and Piper froze mid-step as they strained their ears to hear more. They had no idea what had caused the noise, and they thought there might be another demon in the house. Maybe they hadn't gotten them all.

Once more, they continued on their way, but moving so slowly and quietly that they were practically undetectable. Wyatt projected his shield out to cover them both, in case of surprise attacks.

As they approached the living room, Wyatt saw a body crumpled on the floor by the couch. Whoever it was, they seemed to be either unconscious, sleeping or dead.

Piper didn't see the figure, as she was currently investigating another part of the living room. She sneaked about, hoping to find the cause of the sound.

Wyatt approached the body carefully, an energy ball held in his hand in case the unconscious figure rose to fight against him.

As Wyatt circled the person, he frowned as he wondered why the shirt the person was wearing seemed so familiar.

When he got near enough to make out the facial features, Wyatt gasped, snuffed out the energy ball in his hand, and instantly fell to his knees next to the figure.

Piper heard her son's gasp, and she immediately ran to him, terrified that he had been hurt. However, when she saw what her son was doing, her face took on an expression of horror.

Chris was lying on the ground, his longish hair almost completely covering his face, which was why his brother couldn't recognize him at first. His arms were stretched out slightly, as if he'd tried to catch himself as he fell; his neck and head were lying at such an impossible angle, it seemed unbelievable that he was still alive. However, his chest was rising and falling, irregularly, but at least it proved that he was still among the living.

"Chris?" Wyatt called his brother, gently lifting up the unconscious boy's torso and cradling it. "Chris?" he repeated worriedly.

Chris heard a voice intrude the darkness in which he lay, and he stirred feebly. The voice called him once more, insistently. Chris opened one eye in response.

Once he saw his brother open his eye, Wyatt exhaled in relief. He then moved his arm to a lower place on Chris's back in order to hold him better, but as he did so, he felt a warm wetness cover his hand. Instantly, he retracted his hand in order to see it better, and he felt a cold fear grip his heart as he saw that it was coated in a thick red substance.

Piper shuddered as she saw the blood on her son, but she held on firmly to her composure, telling herself that Wyatt would just heal Chris and everything would be ok.

"Hang on, Chris," Wyatt muttered to his brother as he began to turn him over to reach the wound better. Chris just groaned as his injury was moved, and the skin around it stretched painfully.

Finally, Wyatt could hold his hand over the gaping hole. He concentrated, and warmth began to flood him as his healing power was activated.

Chris sighed happily as he felt the wound on his back begin to heal, and the pain just disappeared.

Soon, it was done. Wyatt drew back his hand but didn't let go of his young brother.

Chris struggled for release, and once Wyatt's arms had loosened around him, he tried to stand up.

"Easy," his brother's voice cautioned him, and he felt a pressure forcing him back down.

Wyatt kept his brother from standing, and reached over to his lower back once more, to really make sure that Chris was fine.

Seeing what Wyatt was trying to do, Chris squirmed and protested, "I'm fine, Wy. Lemme go!"

Finally, Wyatt released his younger brother, and Chris stood up quickly. For a moment, Chris stood firmly, but then a rushing noise filled his ears and he swayed slightly. He collapsed onto the couch, his eyes closed. He heard footsteps approach him, and then his mother's worried voice.

"Chris?" she asked.

"I told you to take it easy," his brother muttered.

"I'm good," Chris answered, "just a little dizzy."

Piper sat down next to her younger son, and then, on an impulse, she hugged him fiercely. Chris seemed a little surprised by the gesture, but he responded in kind. Wyatt watched them for a while, before standing up himself.

"So," he began, doing his best to sound businesslike, "what happened?"

Chris tensed slightly and let go of his mother to look his brother in the eye. "I was attacked."

"By who?"

"A couple of demons." Chris blushed, then continued, "I was walking to the cable-cart stop when they grabbed me."

Wyatt pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. If Chris had simply done as he was told, and orbed home instead of taking the normal route, none of this would have ever happened.

Wyatt tried to cover his softer feeling behind his frustration, but it was difficult. He was extremely mad at Chris, yes, but under all that lay a feeling that wasn't so easy to deal with: worry. Wyatt was extremely worried about his younger brother, and even though he knew said younger brother would be probably embarrassed by the feelings in his heart, he couldn't help them.

Clearing his throat, Wyatt then commented, "We should probably check the book."

Chris nodded as his mother stood up. "Yeah, we should."

-)-(-

Just a short while later, both brothers were standing in the attic, reading the Book of Shadows, while their mother watched them from a seated position on a nearby chair.

"Are those the demons that attacked you?" Wyatt asked for the seventh time.

"No," Chris answered hesitantly. The only demon he'd gotten a good view of was the one covered in all the tattoos, and even he wasn't so easy to recognize.

Wyatt turned the page once more, and stopped. "Those are the demons that attacked us," he said, pointing at the page in front of him. Evil creatures were painted on it, baring their teeth and holding energy balls.

"It says here that they're lower level demons, not too hard to vanquish. You don't even need a potion," Chris said, reading the explanation next to the drawings.

Wyatt nodded, and then continued flipping the pages, asking every once in a while if Chris recognized the demon.

It went on like this for a while, and Wyatt was beginning to grow rather tired. He turned another page over, and opened his mouth to ask if that was the demon, when Chris gasped. Wyatt instantly read the writing next to the image of a ferocious tattooed demon.

_These types of demon are very dangerous to encounter. They have upper level powers, but use them rarely. They mostly take on jobs as assassins instead of killing randomly, like others do. Specialized in their trade, when their services are required, they are tactical and their strategies rarely fail._

Under the explanation were the instructions for a vanquishing potion.

Chris had read the text with raised eyebrows, growing more skeptical every moment. Why had Wyatt been attacked by minor demons, while the best assassins were after Chris? It made absolutely no sense at all.

Chris puzzled over this for a moment before coming up with a solution. Obviously, the demons had made a mistake. They'd probably gotten the brothers confused or something, which was the reason they'd sent the stronger demons after the weaker brother, and vice-versa.

While Chris was thinking this over, Wyatt had told his mother about the demons.

"Is there a vanquishing potion?" she asked.

"Yeah," Wyatt answered, glancing once more at the list of ingredients. "It's not too hard. All we need is some mandrake, cardamom, and-"

"We're out of cardamom," Piper interrupted. "You finished it yourself," she added, and Wyatt blushed slightly and looked down at his feet. He was supposed to write down the herbs they ran out of on the shopping list, but somehow he always forgot.

Piper stood up and began walking to the stairs, the boys followed her. "In fact, you two can get me some other herbs while you're at it," she continued, as she walked down the steps.

* * *

><p>(AN) Yaay! Chris made it home safe and sound! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was pretty fun to write, at least.

I wanted to thank my two reviewers: Drunk and xxxwallflowerxxx, you guys make it more fun to post each and every chapter! Anyway, please let me know what you thought about this chapter! See you next week with chapter six!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"Come on, Chris! Hurry up!"

Chris cringed slightly when he heard his older brother's exasperated voice, accompanied by a loud honking from the car horn.

They'd driven to the herb store, due to Chris's reluctance to orb everywhere he went. However, once they'd arrived at the store, the brothers had been unable to find a parking space, so Wyatt had been forced to remain in the car and drive around the block a couple of times while he waited for his brother to finish buying what they needed.

Another honk was heard, and Chris sighed. His brother had never learned to be very patient, not like Chris. Wyatt was used to getting stuff done quickly and efficiently, and most of the time, magically. Of course, Chris wasn't like that, and he liked taking his time with stuff, a fact that his brother ignored.

"Here you go," the elderly man at the counter said, handing Chris a small bottle of root of thyme effusion. "Anything else?"

Chris shook his head and smiled at the man as he handed over some crumpled bills to pay for the many items he'd purchased.

The old man clicked his tongue against his dentures as he typed out the receipt. Finally, the paper was printed out, and Chris took it from the man who offered it to him.

"Thanks," Chris said, and walked quickly to the door. He didn't want to keep his brother waiting any longer than he had to.

"Come back soon!" the old man called, before popping out his teeth and dipping them into a glass of water next to the cash register.

-)-(-

Chris opened the shotgun door to the car and sat down. Wyatt barely waited for him to close the door before he stepped on the accelerator and took off.

"What took you so long?" he grumbled.

"It was the old storekeeper this time," Chris answered, while carefully tucking the herbs into the small compartment between both seats.

Wyatt clicked his tongue in an imitation of the old man. "The one with the false teeth?" he asked.

"Yep."

Wyatt nodded slightly in understanding, and then continued driving.

Suddenly, a slight beeping noise was heard.

"Seatbelt," Wyatt sighed, as he dodged a car that had tried to cut him off.

Chris struggled to pull on his seatbelt, but it was stubbornly refusing to be pulled out, and Wyatt's maneuvers weren't helping either.

The beeping noise grew louder, and Wyatt thumped his hand against the steering wheel in exasperation.

"Put your seatbelt on," he ordered.

"I'm trying," Chris grunted. "Just stop moving the car so much."

Wyatt had just opened his mouth to make a witty reply to Chris's complaints, when a loud bang was heard. Instantly, the car went out of control.

Wyatt turned the steering wheel this way and that to try to keep the vehicle from crashing into one of the street lights, or worse, a person.

Chris held on to the edge of his seat fiercely, his knuckles turning white. His eyes were opened wide as a bunch of possible scenarios entered his mind.

The car, however, refused to be controlled, and Wyatt gasped in horror as he saw another vehicle in front of him.

For a moment, he looked into the other driver's eyes. They were fearful and surprised, not having known that a homicidal car was just around the corner.

Then, a loud crash was heard.

Chris's grip on his seat loosened, and he felt himself fly through the air and towards the windshield. Closing his eyes, he called upon his orbing power, and he safely made his way through the glass. However, he was too shaken up to alter his trajectory, so once he was solid, he continued his flight until he crash-landed on the other car's hood.

Groaning, Chris raised his head to look at the devastation around him. Both cars looked almost like accordions, their fronts crumpled together. One of the vehicles was steaming slightly. The driver inside the car on which he was positioned seemed to be knocked out.

Suddenly frightened, Chris tried to sit up, to get a glimpse of his older brother, but he was too weak after his landing, so he could barely move.

"Wyatt!" he called weakly, before coughing, the steam having made its way into his lungs.

-)-(-

Wyatt moaned as the world began to come back. During the crash, he'd somehow managed to hit his head against something, and get knocked out. However, now a voice was calling him back from the painless black.

"What?" he asked irritably, before opening his eyes widely in horror. He'd just been in a car-crash with his little brother.

Quickly, he turned to look at the seat right beside him, expecting to see Chris, a little battered, smiling back at him. But no, it was empty.

Struggling against the airbag and the seatbelt, Wyatt tried desperately to get out of the wreck. It was impossible to find the seatbelt under the bag, however, so Wyatt finally gave up and instead orbed out of the destroyed vehicle.

Not managing to make it very far, Wyatt only went through the door before collapsing to the ground. He tried to pull himself up, his legs shaking under his weight, and looked for his brother.

Once he was standing, he saw Chris lying on the other car's hood. Wyatt sighed in relief, and smiled when his brother turned and looked at him, having heard that tiny little wisp of air.

However, Wyatt's relief was short-lived. Just a second later, a demon shimmered in, and holding an energy-ball menacingly, strode over to Chris.

With a small cry, Wyatt let go of the car against which he was heavily leaning to wave his arm at the demon. The action proved to be too much, though, and Wyatt fell back onto the ground.

-)-(-

Chris had been relieved to see his brother when Wyatt had made a frightened noise. Following the direction of his brother's wave, Chris stopped his earnest craning of his neck and instead simply gazed right above him.

The tattooed demon was positioned there, an energy-ball in his hand. He smiled evilly, before throwing the ball at the witch.

Chris managed to roll out of the way, but in doing so, he fell from the hood and onto the ground. As his body landed heavily, Chris gasped in pain.

Suddenly, the demon above him screamed, having received a blast from a powerful source. Chris peered around the agonizing creature and saw his brother standing there, a strange look on his face.

The demon, reluctant to hang around after having nearly been blown to pieces, shimmered away. As soon as this happened, Wyatt went to kneel beside Chris, and asked him, "Are you ok?"

Chris groaned in pain as an answer, and the look on Wyatt's face only deepened. Now, Chris was able to pinpoint that strange look, it was worry.

Wyatt held his hand above his little brother, and channeled some of his remaining energy into his healing power.

Soon, Chris was pain and injury-free.

Wyatt stood up with difficulty. Chris followed suit.

"How's the other driver?" Wyatt asked, his words slurring slightly.

Chris knew his brother had overtaxed himself, but he didn't say anything. Wyatt would deny everything if he did. So, instead, Chris went over to the other car and peered in through the window. To his relief he saw that the other driver, though unconscious, seemed to be perfectly fine.

"He's all right," Chris said, and looked back up at Wyatt. Seeing that his brother's actions were catching up with him, Chris rushed to Wyatt's side as he crumpled to the ground.

* * *

><p>(AN) Hi! I hope you guys enjoyed that! And I just thought I'd mention, the scene where Chris flies through the window was the scene that first appeared in my head one day that I was stuck in traffic. The rest of the story followed from that. Isn't that awesome?

Anyway, I wanted to thank a bunch of people who reviewed the story last time: supernatural fan, xxxwallflowerxxx, Patry, Drunk, and Killing Crusem's Paige. You guys rock and deserve virtual cookies for your wonderful reviews!

Wow, this story is getting a really awesome reaction! I'm so glad, and I hope you guys love this chapter, and stay tuned for next week! Please review! Reviews make me the happiest person on the planet!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

A long time after they'd left the manor, Chris and Wyatt finally appeared in the house.

Wyatt had woken up not too long after he'd collapsed, but the brothers had been stalled for a long time while they waited for the ambulances and police to arrive. Even with murdering demons chasing them, there was no way to avoid the legal system, which dictated that they would have to wait until doctors made sure the other driver was ok, and then for the police to decide who was paying for both cars.

Even when it was discovered that the Halliwell car had blown a couple of its tires, Wyatt had had to call his mother's insurance to pay for the damage of the other car. Luckily, the family was used to having to replace things, so they had great insurance behind them. But still, it took a long time to make their way through the system before they were finally let go.

Their car's tires having been blown up by demonic powers, the brothers had had to use an unorthodox method to get home, even with Chris protesting the entire way. Wyatt ignored him as he simply orbed inside his house, holding onto Chris's arm.

As soon as they landed, Chris pulled free from his brother's strong grip.

"Was that really necessary?" he asked, rubbing his pained arm. "I can orb by myself, you know."

Wyatt ignored him as his little brother continued complaining about the recent occurrence. Chris might not be so scared about demons attacking them so often, but Wyatt was terrified.

Just a short while ago, Chris had nearly been killed by an extremely powerful demon. If Wyatt hadn't been there, his brother could have died.

Grabbing Chris's shirt, Wyatt pulled him into the living room. Chris squawked in surprise, before struggling.

"Stop it, Wy!" he grumbled.

Wyatt was deaf to Chris's comments as he mulled what had happened over and over in his mind. The demon had caused the accident to get to them. Yet, once the accident had happened, he'd been intent on getting to Chris, instead of Wyatt. This left Wyatt with only one horrible conclusion.

"Mom!" Wyatt called, his voice drowning out his brother's protests.

-)-(-

Piper descended the stairs quickly, having heard her son's call. She'd been rather worried about the pair, and now, she was beginning to turn her concern into the usual mother-like fury.

"Where have you two been?" she asked, even if she still hadn't arrived at the living room. She just couldn't stop herself from chastising them.

Piper stopped short as soon as she saw her older son standing protectively over her younger, who was sitting on the couch, looking frustrated.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice changing dramatically. She knew Wyatt well, and she did not like the look that was on his face.

Her son only said shortly, "Call Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Paige," before looking back at his brother, who squirmed uncomfortably.

Piper gaped for a second before yelling her sisters' names up at the ceiling, hoping that neither of them had something important to do at the moment, and that they would both be able to get away.

Luckily, neither of the sisters was held up, and just a few minutes later, Paige orbed into the room, holding Phoebe's hand.

Usually, the middle sister would have protested being called away in the middle of her busy day, but, she had a feeling that this time was different. If Piper needed her and Paige, and couldn't just make do with her children, that meant that something was very wrong. So, instead of starting to complain about how she would miss one of her many appointments, she simply turned to Piper and asked worriedly, "What happened?"

Piper, hoping to find out herself, turned to Wyatt, who took a deep breath before stating the extremely short explanation.

"Demons are after Chris."

Emotions surged through the room like a tidal wave as everyone reacted to the simple statement. Phoebe staggered slightly as she noticed what everyone was feeling, but after she shook her head slightly to clear it, she was fine and able to start thinking about what Wyatt had said.

Piper was shocked by the statement, uncertain of what to think. For one thing, Chris was usually a very low-key witch, who didn't call much attention to himself, meaning that the more powerful demons tended to ignore him as they searched for prey. Luckily, Chris was able to lead a more or less normal life because of this, but it seemed that he hadn't been protected from them all.

Paige felt very surprised herself, knowing that it was usually Wyatt or the Charmed Ones themselves who were hunted, and not her youngest nephew. Not only were the younger children discouraged on going out on demon hunts on their own, but they were protected by very strong magic. Demons had learned very soon that taking on the children of the Charmed Ones was practically suicide.

Unwilling to believe Wyatt's statement himself, Chris stood up and protested, as his aunts and mother turned and looked at him worriedly.

"Demons are not after me," Chris stated, negating the truth he knew well.

Ignoring Chris once more, Wyatt continued, his voice urgent as he tried to convey the danger his little brother was in. "They attacked us not too long ago, but their main focus was Chris. They didn't even seem to care about me."

Chris, frustrated, yelled out, "Would someone please just listen to me?" He was tired of people handling his business as if it was their own. It was something usual in his life, but today, it seemed that he'd reached a breaking point.

Four pairs of eyes turned to look at the emotional witch, as he took a deep breath.

Slightly more calm, Chris continued talking. "Demons are not after me," he repeated. "It's just all been a mistake. They obviously thought I was Wyatt or something."

"That's impossible," Paige interrupted. "Every demon knows what Wyatt looks like. There's no way they could think you were him."

"And besides," Phoebe broke in, "Wyatt's power aura is unmistakable."

"Then there's got to be another explanation," Chris said, his voice nearly failing him. He just couldn't believe this was happening now. Sure, he'd been the target of a couple of demon attacks before, but never so many powerful ones. It just didn't make any sense to him. Wyatt was always the one who got attacked by the worse ones, and he only got the mediocre. That was life.

But apparently, life had taken a drastic twist. Now, demons were after Chris, and completely uncaring about Wyatt.

"Sorry, bro," Wyatt said, finally talking to his little brother. "These demons are after you, not me."

Chris collapsed onto the couch, his eyes wide and shocked. Wyatt sighed and sat down next to him. The Charmed ones made themselves comfortable as well.

"Chris, there's no other explanation," Wyatt said slowly, knowing that this knowledge must be difficult for his brother to hear. "You saw him when we crashed. He didn't even look at me. He went straight to you."

Wyatt wouldn't admit it at the moment, but he was slightly affronted that the demon at the crash site had simply ignored him. That had never happened before. Even when he wasn't the main target of an attack, he usually got some attention, even if it was only the demons running away screaming. This occurrence was something that had never happened before. But now that it was going on, Wyatt wanted his little brother, the actual target, safe.

"Wait, you crashed the car?" Piper asked, her worry about her son searching for a release as a mother's usual anger at broken items.

Her voice broke into Wyatt's thoughts, and he just stared at his mother with a meaningful look that very plainly said that now was not the time to worry about the state of the automobile.

Seeing this, Piper forced down the scolding she'd been about to give both of her sons, and instead stopped fighting against the fear that was threatening to overtake her.

"What did the demon look like?" Phoebe then asked, deciding to stick to the magical problems and try to avoid any sort of conversation about vehicles. She sure didn't want to hear a safety lecture from her older sister at the moment, not when something so serious was going on. Even if the talk wouldn't be meant for her, Phoebe would inevitably be drawn in, as an example of what _not _to do when driving. Not pleasant at all.

Hearing his aunt's question, Wyatt answered her, forgetting that neither of his mother's sisters had been told of the recent events. "It was the same demon that attacked Chris earlier."

Paige looked at her oldest sister, surprised. "A demon attacked Chris before and you only call us now?" At least she and Phoebe should have been told about this earlier, just to be more prepared when the actual moment arrived.

"I thought we could handle it," Piper protested.

"Obviously you couldn't," Paige muttered, trying to be quiet enough so that not everyone heard what she said.

Unfortunately, Piper heard the comment, and she'd just opened her mouth to continue the argument when she was interrupted by her older son.

"We don't have time for that right now," he said. "Right now, we have to decide what we're going to do about these demons."

And with that, Piper snapped her mouth shut, and the sisters and Wyatt set down to talking. Chris didn't even listen. He was still caught up in the shock that for once he was the main target. For once, he was considered more important than his brother, even if it was only by demons.

* * *

><p>(AN) Hello! I hope you guys all enjoyed that chapter, and I apologize for not putting it up yesterday... I completely forgot. Anyway, I worked hard to develop the way Chris has inferiority issues in this chapter, and how, despite his being in danger, he kind of feels glad it's his turn to be more important than Wyatt. The next chapter will be up next Friday, and I hope you guys all stay tuned to read it!

That being said, I wanted to thank my wonderful reviewers: Patry, Killing Crusem's Paige, Drunk, xxxwallflowerxxx, Nosside, and Veradjna. You guys make me happy about posting new chapters!

Anyway, read, review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Chris was still sitting shocked in the same position he had been for quite a while. He just couldn't believe what was happening. Demons were after _him_, the lesser Halliwell. The Twice-Blessed's younger brother. The guy always in Wyatt's shadow. It was just so unreal.

However, things were still moving on, so, deciding to mull these thoughts over later, when he was alone, Chris tuned into the conversation that his aunts, mother, and brother were animatedly having.

"It's a powerful demon, but nothing a potion can't handle," Piper was saying.

"Great," Paige cut in, already trying to set a plan in motion. "So all we have to do is get Chris outside, lure in the demon, and vanquish his sorry ass."

Hearing this, Wyatt interrupted loudly. "There is no way Chris is going outside with that demon on the loose." He wasn't going to let his little brother out of his sight, let alone into the street. Until Wyatt was sure that the demon was dead and that Chris was safe again, Chris would just have to stay in the manor, where the Halliwell magic would protect him.

"But it's the fastest way to vanquish him!" Paige protested. "Otherwise, we'd have to scry for evil, and that could take ages!" Although Paige enjoyed taking down a demon every once in a while, she wanted to get rid of this one quickly. One of her daughters had a sort of pageant at school that evening, and Paige really didn't want to miss it after promising her all week that she would be there.

"I agree with Wyatt," Piper stated firmly, letting her authority as the eldest sister resound in her voice. "I am not letting you use my son as bait."

"He wouldn't be bait," Paige answered stubbornly.

Phoebe, sensing that Piper would probably explode if Paige denied the obvious, tugged on her younger sister's sleeve, and told her quietly, "Technically, honey, you would be using Chris as bait."

"But still," Paige continued her protests, eager to show that her plan was a good one, "we obviously wouldn't let anyone hurt him or anything."

"No," Piper stated, her demeanor showing that her decision was final. Chris was her son, and he was not going to be used as bait to dangle outside until a powerful demon snapped him up.

"But, Mom," Chris said, suddenly eager to use this as an opportunity to prove himself, "like Aunt Paige said, nothing's gonna happen to me."

Wyatt leaned over the couch and pushed his younger brother slightly. "Chris, what Mom says goes."

Chris fumed silently. Why didn't his mother or brother trust him? Did they think he wouldn't be able to handle acting as bait or something? Was it because he was weaker than Wyatt? Why was he always the one who had to stay home, stay safe? Why didn't anybody believe in him?

Angry, Chris stood up. His brother's eyes followed him worriedly. Wyatt knew that Chris didn't want to stay at the manor while he and everyone else left in search for the demon, but he didn't want his younger brother on the front line. However, he could see that it wasn't sitting well with Chris.

"Why can't I go?" Chris asked loudly. "Don't you trust me?" he demanded of his mother, as she looked at him with wide, and almost hurt, eyes. "I am not weak!" Chris continued. "I can do just as much as any of you can! Maybe even more! Why won't you let me actually help you?"

"Chris," Piper said, standing up from her seated position. "I just don't want to see you get hurt." She reached out as if to touch her son's cheek, but then recoiled at his biting words.

"Then why don't you stop Wyatt from going too?"

Piper was unable to answer this question. Her mouth opened and closed a few times in shock as she tried to find an answer.

Wyatt finally burst in, exasperated at the fact that his brother seemed so eager to risk his life. "You idiot," he said to Chris, "we're just trying to keep you safe!"

"I can protect myself!" Chris said, his voice rising to a shriek. "I don't need anybody baby-sitting me just because I'm not as powerful as you, Wy!"

"Is that what you think?" Piper asked, but was brusquely interrupted by Chris before she could continue.

"I don't need everybody treating me like I'm some weakling who can't take care of himself! Just because I don't use my powers on a daily basis doesn't mean I don't have any, and I'm sick of people treating me not like a witch in my own right, but as Wyatt's younger brother!"

The women in the room stared at Chris as if they'd never seen him before. And, in truth, they'd never seen this side of the younger Halliwell boy. It had never crossed their minds that Chris might feel inferior to his older brother. Sure, when he'd come back from the future, he'd commented on Wyatt's superiority once or twice, but then they'd simply joked the matter away. Now, however, they were seeing eighteen years worth of suppressed anger.

Wyatt went over to Chris and put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "I think you need to cool off," he said, and looked deeply into Chris's eyes, silently telling him to calm down, or he'd say something he'd regret.

Chris simply shrugged off Wyatt's hand, and answered, "You can't tell me what to do just because you're more powerful than I am, so leave me alone!" And with that, Chris pushed Wyatt forcefully before quickly making his way out of the room, leaving a dead silence behind.

-)-(-

Chris muttered angrily to himself as he made his way up the stairs to his bedroom.

Not paying attention to his surroundings, he nearly ran into his dad, who was still dressed in his teaching robes and had obviously just returned from magic school.

"Hi, Chris!" Leo exclaimed happily, but then froze at the expression on his son's face.

Chris just glared at his father before running up to his bedroom.

Leo stared uncertainly at the spot where Chris had been standing just a moment ago, before continuing down to the living room, where he was met with the sight of his wife and her two sisters sitting stunned, while Wyatt was getting himself off the floor.

"What's wrong with Chris?" Leo asked, more worried about his son than about wondering what the heck Phoebe and Paige were doing in the house.

Piper snapped out of the trance she was in, and sighed before looking up at her husband. "Where's Mel?" she asked tiredly, her motherly side insisting on asking this before any explanations were given.

"She's staying at Magic School tonight," Leo said, knowing that if he wanted answers, he'd have to give his wife what she wanted to know first. "She has a project to work on, and she'd rather stay near the library."

Piper nodded slightly, before sighing.

"About Chris…" Leo prompted, waiting for someone to answer his previous question.

Phoebe, finally reacting, pointed at the couch as she said, "You better sit down."

-)-(-

Chris slammed his bedroom door behind him. He just couldn't believe that after all these years of proving himself, his family just kept treating him like a kid. It was so unfair that Wyatt had always gotten to do as he wanted, from vanquishing demons at all hours, to not doing his schoolwork because he was too busy for it anyway; while Chris always had to be careful to only go after demons with someone by his side, and actually had to work at his life.

For the first time in eighteen years, he'd allowed his anger at this injustice out, and now, his family would probably think he was acting like a spoiled teenager instead of taking him seriously.

Sighing, Chris leaned against the door, and slid down it to sit on the floor. He put his head in his hands as he calmed himself down, trying to think the situation over rationally.

Now that he'd acted like such a brat, it was unlikely that his family would let him actually participate in the vanquish. They'd probably say that he was 'too involved' or something of the sort.

Groaning, Chris thought his situation over. He really wanted to help, but he had no idea how.

Suddenly, a thought popped into his mind. In a mission a couple of years ago, obviously accompanied by Wyatt, he'd snuck down to the Underworld to find out something about a particular demon.

Chris smiled as a great idea occurred to him. If he went down to the Underworld and figured out who had hired this demon, his family would have no choice but to let him participate. He'd finally be able to prove himself as capable as Wyatt.

Chris stood up and eagerly headed over to his closet, to put on something a little bit darker, to help him blend in. He tore his shirt off and tossed it on the floor, before grabbing a nearby black sweatshirt and pulling it on. Then, after studying his appearance in the mirror for a moment, and messing up his hair slightly, he orbed out, down to the Underworld.

* * *

><p>(AN) Oh Chris! Poor guy, the first time anyone ever considers him more important than his brother, his family insists on keeping him out of danger. And, to retaliate, he goes into the underworld all by himself, which is never a good idea. What do you think will happen to him? Will his family realize that they can't keep protecting him? Will he get caught? You will have to wait until the next chapter! I hope you enjoyed this one, I know I did!

Anyway, I want to thank my wonderfully fantastic reviewers: Mrs-Fanfiction, Funnie, Drunk, Patry, and Veradjna. You guys rock so much for telling me your opinions about my story! I also want to thank everyone who added this story to their Alerts and Favorites. It's wonderful to hear that you're enjoying reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Love you guys!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

"So wait," Leo said, trying to wrap his head around what he'd just been told. "Someone is after _Chris_?"

"Yes," Piper patiently answered. She noticed Wyatt rolling his eyes at his father's aghast reaction, and she frowned slightly, before turning back to her husband.

"Ok," Leo said, still shocked. He put his head in his hands. "Ok," he said to himself, trying to take deep breaths and keep from freaking out.

The rest of the family watched him. Ever since Leo had lost his powers, he'd been more protective of his kids, especially Chris. He no longer was the calm whitelighter they'd had once. Now, he reacted completely like a father, which was why it was so difficult for him to assimilate what was going on without losing his mind. Everybody understood this, and was always patient as he tried to get a handle on his feelings. They knew he probably felt useless a lot of the time now, especially since he used to be so active in the Charmed Ones' magical lives before, but now, could only watch as a bystander.

After a couple of breathing techniques he'd used while being an elder, Leo looked up, definitely calm now. Then, he asked a question to which no one had the answer. "Do we know _why _demons are after him?"

"Does that even matter?" Wyatt's sentence burst out before he could stop it. "Someone is after Chris and you want to know _why_? Because we're witches, that's why!"

Piper glared at her oldest son as her sisters sat still, not knowing whether to intervene or not. This was Piper's business, but Wyatt was their nephew. However, seeing the look Piper had on her face, they decided they better stay out of this.

"Wyatt!" Piper said angrily. "Don't speak to your father in that tone."

Wyatt knew he was being unfair. His dad was just trying to help. But he was just so frustrated and worried. He didn't like anything that was going on. Chris was in danger, and no one knew how it had happened, which was part of the reason Wyatt had nearly blown up. Leo had asked precisely the question whose answer Wyatt feared the most. Why were the demons after Chris in the first place? Were they just trying to gain power? Was it because he was the son of a Charmed One? Or, worst of all, was it because he was Wyatt's brother?

Wyatt sighed at all the questions running through his head, and he rubbed his eyes with his hand.

"I'm sorry, Dad," he said to Leo quietly. "I'm just really stressed."

Leo smiled and nodded understandingly. He always understood, no matter what was going on. Even Phoebe admitted that he was sometimes better at reading people than she was, and she was an empath!

"So," Leo repeated carefully, lest his son grow angry again. "Why are demons after Chris?"

Piper sighed, as Paige voiced the answer to this fearsome question. "We don't know."

Leo looked down, worriedly. He'd had the feeling that this would be the answer, but he'd been hoping it wouldn't be so. This meant that everyone was in greater danger.

"The demon is an assassin," Paige said, trying to piece a couple of thoughts together. "So someone must have hired him."

"And it's probably someone pretty powerful, to be able to pay that guy," Phoebe added. "I mean, he's one of the best there is."

"And it's definitely someone not afraid to be vanquished-" Piper said, only to be interrupted by Wyatt.

"Oh, he will be," he muttered darkly, thinking about the evil that had dared to try and murder his little brother.

"-since he's coming after the Charmed family," Piper continued, ignoring her son's comment, even if she agreed wholeheartedly. No one could try and kill any member of her family and get away with it. She'd get that demon, if it was the last thing she did.

Leo nodded, and then asked, "So what's the plan? Set a trap?" He sounded almost eager as he voiced these questions.

"Scry for evil," Paige answered, with a glance at her oldest sister.

Leo's face fell slightly as he heard Paige speak. He knew that scrying was time-consuming, and it didn't work too well unless they had something that belonged to the creature they were looking for.

"Oh," he said simply, wondering how long it would take to track the demon down.

Paige noticed Leo's reluctance about their plan, and she agreed inwardly, but she knew better than to complain after what Piper had said.

Wyatt stood up. "Ok," he said. "Now that that's settled, I think we should start preparing."

The rest of the family followed suit.

"Paige, you and Phoebe go upstairs and start scrying," Piper ordered. "Leo, you come and help me make that potion. And Wyatt," she pointed up the stairs while looking at her son, "you go get your brother."

Wyatt expelled the air in his lungs roughly in frustration. He knew he was the best candidate to talk to his little brother, but he really didn't want to face Chris after all that had happened. He knew that he was sometimes over-protective of his sibling, but he'd never expected Chris to resent it so much. Now, he'd have some serious explaining to do.

With a little groan, Wyatt began to walk upstairs, nearly dragging his feet on the floor. He wished he could just orb upstairs and into Chris's room, but he knew his brother would not like that, so he had to take the normal way, walking.

Wyatt tried to put it off as much as possible, but, sooner than he wished, there he was, right in front of Chris's bedroom door.

He raised his hand, hesitated slightly, and then knocked twice before he lost his nerve. There was no reply from inside the room.

"Chris?" Wyatt called, knocking again. Still, it was silent.

"Aw, come on, Chris!" he said. "Stop sulking!"

When he didn't get an answer to that statement, Wyatt instantly grew worried. It wasn't like Chris to give the silent treatment, and especially to ignore his older brother.

Tentatively, Wyatt tried the doorknob, and found it unlocked. He let himself into the room, braced for what he might find in there.

Inside, it looked pretty much like it usually did. It was a rather neat room, with the bed only slightly wrinkled, and a couple of textbooks lying haphazardly on the desk. However, it was empty. Chris wasn't there.

Wyatt looked around, trying to figure out what might have happened. He then saw something unusual in the middle of the room. Chris's shirt, the one he'd been wearing earlier, was lying on the floor.

Wyatt grabbed the shirt as evidence and orbed downstairs into the kitchen.

"Mom," he gasped out, as soon as he arrived, surprising both his parents. "Chris is missing!"

-)-(-

Chris orbed into an empty passageway in the underworld. He'd been to a couple of them already, and had overheard a bunch of demons talking, but not about what he was searching for. This was definitely strange, since usually most demons would be buzzing about the attack on the Halliwells. But today, nobody seemed to know.

Deciding that this would be his last stop, Chris crouched by the wall and kept quiet. He didn't want to admit it, but he felt rather foolish now that he'd carried out his plan and hadn't discovered anything. And if he didn't overhear anything this time, there really was no point in hanging around. Besides, his family might come in to check on him, and they'd panic if they didn't find him where he was supposed to be.

Sighing, Chris began to settle into a more comfortable position. However, he stopped as he heard a couple of voices approaching.

"Will he be punished?" one of the demons, a rather scrawny fellow, was asking gleefully.

"Probably," his companion answered, looking pleased with the thought. "He's failed to kill the boy twice already."

This sounded promising. Chris snuck to a place slightly closer to the demons to be able to hear better.

"But why is the Source after the Charmed son?"

Hearing those words, Chris froze. The _Source_ was after him?

Chris had come to the conclusion that probably a pretty powerful demon was behind all this quite a while ago, but not the Source! That demon was so powerful that even Wyatt had never taken one out all by himself, and he was the Twice-Blessed! Why would the Source be after him, and not Wyatt? It didn't really make any sense.

"I dunno," the demon answered, shrugging. "But that kid's gonna definitely die. I've never seen the Source so determined. It shouldn't be long."

"I sure hope not!" the scrawny demon said, and burst out laughing. "It's not like it's gonna be hard to kill that one anyway!"

The other demon nodded and laughed too, a guttural sound that sounded more like someone was strangling him rather than causing him amusement.

Chris fisted his hands as he imagined punching the demons with all his strength. They seemed to think he wasn't able to vanquish anybody. Well, he'd prove them wrong… he'd prove everyone wrong. He'd show everyone just how well he could vanquish a demon!

And with that, Chris orbed back home.

* * *

><p>(AN) So, the family has discovered that Chris is missing, and Chris has discovered that the Source is after him. A lot of discoveries, isn't it? Yup! And now will come the fun part! What do you guys think will happen next?

Oh, and I want to thank my wonderfully awesome reviewers who make it such a pleasure to upload each new chapter: Funnie, Mrs-Fanfiction, Drunk, Nosside, Black Eyed Kids, Patry, Bambi Eyes 14, and Veradjna. You guys rock!

Anyway, enjoy this chapter, please review if you can, and hope to see you next week with the next chapter! Trust me, the story's about to get even better!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

As soon as Chris arrived inside his room, he knew something was wrong. The door was wide open, for one, and Chris was absolutely positive that he'd closed it when he'd stomped into the place. Also, the shirt that he'd taken off was missing from its place on the ground. And, the most obvious factor to anything being wrong: his mom was yelling hysterically downstairs.

Coming to the conclusion that they'd probably discovered he was missing, Chris sighed and went over to the stairs. He descended leisurely, wanting to put off the moment where his mother yelled at him as much as she possibly could.

Too soon, however, he'd arrived in the living room. Not seeing anyone there, he simply headed to the kitchen. Judging by the sickly smell in there, someone had been cooking a potion up.

Chris shook himself slightly, trying to rid himself of nerves, before he stepped into the kitchen. As soon as he did so, his mother's voice died, and suddenly rose again.

"Where have you been?" she screeched out. Chris cringed and snuck a look to where his brother was standing. Wyatt seemed to be rather upset.

Actually, that was putting it mildly. Wyatt was royally pissed. Here he'd been, thinking that his little brother had been kidnapped, killed, or worse, and then, poof, he was back, safe and sound. Wyatt's face reddened slightly in anger, but he decided to leave the scolding to his mom, who was doing a really great job of it.

"How dare you leave without a word when we know demons are after you!" she was saying, hardly stopping to take a breath. "You, young man," she then said ominously, "are grounded!"

Chris opened his mouth to protest, but after a look at his mother's face, which told him she wasn't finished, he shut up.

Leo just watched from his spot near the table. He'd been so afraid, thinking that his younger son had been killed or something, that now he was too shocked to say anything, even to calm his wife. Although, he did know that once Piper got started, it was nearly impossible to stop her.

"And don't you give me that crap about you being too old for that either," she continued, not noticing that Chris hadn't said anything at all. "While you live in my house, you live under my rules!"

Chris just rubbed at his eyes absentmindedly. He wondered when his mother would be done with her tirade. He hoped it would be soon, since he had so much to tell her, but, knowing Piper, it was unlikely.

After taking a couple more minutes of being yelled at without intervention from either his father or his brother, Chris raised his hands in a sort of surrender.

Piper, surprised by the gesture, abruptly shut up. Leo smiled at his son, recognizing the movement he'd made with his hands almost instantly. It was the same move he himself used when Piper was very upset. Chris must have picked it up from him.

"You done?" Chris asked his mother quietly.

Piper paused, trying to figure out if there was something else she wanted to say. Finding nothing, she nodded.

"Good," Chris said, "because I have an idea."

-)-(-

"So let me get this straight," Paige was clarifying, mostly for Piper's benefit. "You want us to use you as bait?"

Chris had managed to lure his entire family back into the living room, to actually get a say in the plans this time. He'd thought about it carefully, and he'd figured out that Aunt Paige's plan was the best way to find and get rid of the new Source.

"Yes," Chris answered, ignoring his brother's murderous look.

"No," Piper stated, however, with less vigor than before. After witnessing her younger son explode with anger about always being treated as less than Wyatt, she was trying to be a lot more cautious about denying this now.

"Yes," Chris insisted. "Don't you see? It's the perfect plan. I'll just step outside, and you three will follow me. When the demon pops up, you'll just throw him the potion, and that's it. Goodbye demon."

Even with the plan up his sleeve, Chris hadn't told them that it was actually the Source who was after him. He knew that if he even mentioned the name, he'd be locked up in his room and under a magical shield before he could say 'Charmed'. And, he needed to be a part of this vanquish. Chris needed to prove himself to his family. He needed to show them that he was just as good as Wyatt.

Sure, he wasn't planning on vanquishing the Source by himself, that would be suicide (even Wyatt had trouble with that), but he was thinking that as soon his mother and aunts saw the Source step out onto the streets, they'd remember the spell and destroy the demon ruler.

Of course, this was banking on a bit too much, but this was the only way that would work. And, besides, Chris was planning to go take a look at the Book of Shadows before they executed the plan anyway. If the sisters had forgotten the spell, he'd simply remind them, and then, everything would be over. Easy.

His family seemed to be agreeing, albeit reluctantly. All except for Wyatt, who couldn't stop glaring daggers at Chris. He seemed to be asking if Chris was crazy or something.

Chris, noticing his older brother, simply sent him a sort of silly smile before turning back to the rest of his family. He didn't notice Wyatt tense slightly.

"Why do you want to do this so bad?" Wyatt then asked, his low voice carrying the tone of worry for his brother.

Chris looked at him with wide, innocent-looking eyes. "I just have to," he answered.

Wyatt frowned. That wasn't much of a reply, but before he could say anything, Chris stood up.

"I have to go change," he said quickly, fingering his shirt. "I stink of Underworld."

Not even waiting for an answer, Chris left. Wyatt sighed as he watched his brother go. He couldn't explain it, but he had a very bad feeling about this.

-)-(-

Chris was so grateful that nobody had stopped him. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to keep on lying for much longer.

Nervously, he took the stairs two at a time, and reached the attic fairly quickly.

Once there, he darted to the Book, and opened it.

It wasn't long before Chris finally found what he was looking for, the Source's vanquishing spell.

Smiling slightly, Chris grabbed a nearby pen and rolled up his sleeve.

On his inner arm, he wrote down all the words to the spell. He hadn't exactly memorized it yet, and although it seemed to be pretty simple, he was afraid that he might forget it in the heat of battle.

Once he was done, he put the pen where he found it, and headed to his bedroom. He'd been right: he did smell of Underworld, so he had to change.

Closing the door behind him, this time making sure to lock it, Chris looked around his room. Well, at least Wyatt hadn't touched anything except for the dirty shirt, which was going in the laundry anyway.

He went over to his closet, and quickly tore off his clothes before replacing them for clean ones. He felt as if he had to cleanse himself before setting out on his mission, for some reason. It was definitely an odd feeling.

Shrugging it off, Chris looked at himself in the mirror. His green eyes had a few dark shadows under them, and his hair was all messed up from his little trip 'down there'. But otherwise, he looked perfect for what he was about to do.

He was finally going to prove to the world that he wasn't just the brother of the Twice-Blessed, or the son of a Charmed one. He was going to prove that he, Chris Halliwell, was a strong witch. One who could plan the death of the Source of All Evil.

* * *

><p>(AN) Yaay! Tenth chapter, and now the plans have been set in motion! What do you guys think will happen? Chris is planning on facing the Source, and he didn't even tell the sisters... smart? I think not, but, oh well, he's trying to prove himself, so I guess it's fine.

Anyway, let's start thanking all my lovely reviewers! These guys are gorgeous and wonderful, and keep me updating every week! Drunk, Mrs-Fanfiction, Patry (who was really good at guessing Piper's reaction!), and Funnie. You guys rock my socks!

See you next Friday, with the next chapter, and with Chris's plan being set in motion! Anyone excited? I know I am!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

The Source looked down, obviously disgusted, at the demon who was lying on the floor in front of him.

"My lord, please forgive me," he was begging. "I will succeed this time, I swear. I will kill the Charmed boy."

The Source's lips curled up into a grimace. He had no idea why he'd let this pathetic creature two tries at the same target, when his plan had required a quick and efficient death, in order to affect the Twice-Blessed as much as possible. However, this demon and his companion had managed to effectively ruin the first plan, which was why the Source would have to take extraordinary measures now.

"The witch surprised me, but he shall not this time…" the demon was still pleading on the dirty floor.

The Source, tired with having listened to such whimpers, simply created a fireball, and threw it at the demon. The demon instantly stopped his begging, and writhed as the flames began to consume him. His screams of agony filled the dark room, and once he was gone, still echoed around the stone walls for a few more seconds.

The Source had watched the demon as it died, and now, having slightly calmed his anger by killing the creature, snapped his fingers to summon two of his personal guard. The guards arrived in a shimmer, vaguely surprised, but their faces didn't betray their emotions. They had been trained for years to look blank and evil, just like the Source. And now, as the royal guard, they were definitely putting their training to good use.

"Bring me the Charmed son, the younger one," the Source growled at them.

The guards saluted the Source, chorusing, "Yes, my lord," before shimmering out.

The Source, after his guards had gone, retreated to another chamber, a more private one. He didn't worry that the demons he'd sent wouldn't find him, since they had the power to find him wherever he was (compliments of being his personal guard). In this chamber, which had been strengthened by centuries of Source power, no one would have the ability to use their magic to transport themselves in or out. This would keep the brat in the Underworld and unable to orb away.

The Source prepared a fireball, and, imagining the young man in front of him, threw the ball at the floor. A dark scorch-mark was left where it landed.

The Source grinned, convinced that this time, his plans would work.

"If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself," he mumbled as he watched the door carefully, preparing for when his guard would drag the younger Charmed son through the door.

-)-(-

Chris tapped his foot against the floor nervously as he waited for his aunts and mother to come back from the kitchen, a bunch of vanquishing potions in hand. Using himself as bait had seemed like such a brilliant idea just a short while ago, but as the moment approached, Chris was feeling decidedly anxious about the whole thing.

First of all, the potions that the Halliwell women had concocted would all be for naught, since the Source was definitely above that. Second, he hadn't even told anybody that it was the Source who was coming up after him, instead of the assassin demon they all expected.

All of this was giving Chris a bunch of jitters, which were causing everything from tapping feet to the sensation of having jellyfish in his stomach.

He was sitting in the living room, casting frequent glances at the kitchen, hoping that the older women would finish bottling the potions soon so they'd be able to leave before he chickened out.

Wyatt was also in the living room, keeping a protective eye over his younger brother as he waited for the moment when he'd leave.

Wyatt didn't admit it, but he was pretty nervous as well. He didn't want his younger brother to lure in a demon that had tried to kill him twice already, and had nearly succeeded. In fact, what he wanted to do was lock Chris up in his bedroom until this whole thing was over. Unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen, so Wyatt would have to remain in the Manor while Chris ventured outside.

Wyatt cursed inwardly as he imagined the younger man stepping outside and into direct demon fire. Why was his little brother so stubborn sometimes? His mom had said that he'd gotten it from his aunt Prue, but sometimes, Wyatt wished that instead of having his aunt's stubborn streak, Chris could have inherited some more peaceful characteristics. That way, he'd be able to keep his brother safe instead of having to reluctantly allow him to do as he wanted to do.

Chris, as if sensing Wyatt's feelings, sent him a brief smile before glancing back at the kitchen.

Finally, after having waited for what seemed like years, Piper, Paige, and Phoebe were making their way to the young men. Their hands were full of vials, most of which they were hurriedly tucking into pockets while keeping one at hand, to be very ready for when they stepped outside.

Chris, relieved, stood up. Wyatt followed suit.

Piper smiled worriedly at her younger son as she asked him in a steady voice, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Chris nodded, not trusting himself to talk without the whole truth spilling out. With another look at his bodyguards, he made his way to the front door. He'd just put a hand on the doorknob when he heard his brother's voice behind him.

"Be careful, ok?" he was saying quietly.

Chris looked back at his older brother, surprised to see this side of him. Wyatt usually tried to be strong for everyone in his family, yet in his voice, Chris could detect a hint of weakness.

Chris, a grave look on his face to mask his fear, answered, "I will," before opening the door and stepping out into the dangerous streets.

The Charmed sisters stood at the entrance, waiting for Chris to make his way into the street before heading out after him, keeping as hidden as they could.

Wyatt closed the door behind them as they left. He was now alone in the house, as his father had gone back to Magic School to let Melinda know what was going on and keep an eye on her.

The manor was silent as Wyatt made his way back into the living room, and teased the curtains open to watch as his younger brother ventured out into the dangerous neighborhood.

-)-(-

Chris nervously rubbed the sweaty palms of his hands against his jeans, being careful not to smudge the vanquishing spell. He only hoped that his mother and aunts would remember the spell quickly, before the Source managed to kill him.

He walked down the streets, trying to appear calm and confident. He tried whistling a tune, but his dry lips were unable to produce any sound.

He could hear the occasional patter behind him as his mother and aunts found a new hiding place, but was still anxious about getting himself killed before they could do anything about it.

Chris wandered around aimlessly, trying to attract one of the most powerful creatures in the world to appear. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to be happening.

He could hear a few whispers behind him, probably Aunt Paige thinking that somehow the demon had sensed them with Chris. Chris sighed; he'd been so sure that his plan would work. He began to turn around to head back up the street, and towards the manor.

Suddenly, two strongly built demons shimmered in, on both sides of the young man. Chris's eyes widened slightly, before calling out. His mother and aunts ran out of their hiding places, potions at the ready.

Piper was the only one who was cool-headed enough to throw the potion, as her two sisters were too surprised about two demons appearing instead of only one to do anything about it.

But the demons, seeing the potion headed their way, quickly seized Chris. The young man gasped in pain as his arms were grasped in tight holds, and then looked at the potion heading their way. He prayed that the vial would reach him before anything happened.

The demons shimmered out, Chris trapped between them, and the vial harmlessly crashed onto the sidewalk, staining it with the greenish liquid that had taken so many hours to prepare.

Chris was gone.

* * *

><p>(AN) Ooooh! Cliffie! I feel so evil for this! Anyway, I apologize, you guys, for posting this a day late. I tried to post this yesterday, really I did, but FFN wouldn't let me log on to my account, which meant that I had to wait... and wait... and wait... and finally it's working today, so, yay!

I wanted to thank all my lovely reviewers for their beautiful reviews: Jane Mays, Patry (whose reviews I can't reply to but can honestly say I love so much!), Veradjna, and Funnie. Thank you guys for all your support!

I hope you enjoy this chapter very much, and I promise the next ones will be even more exciting! See you next week!


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Piper's wail of dismay was enough to pull both of her sisters out of the surprised trance they'd entered when they'd seen the unexpected two demons. Instantly, their minds got to work, trying to figure out exactly what had happened as Piper ran over to where the potion had landed and called out, as if her son would be able to hear her from where she was.

Quietly, Phoebe walked towards her older sister, and placed her hand on the woman's shoulder.

Piper didn't even shrug off the hand as she continued calling out, trying to find her kidnapped son.

"Sweetie," Phoebe was saying sadly. "That's not going to work."

Piper, sensing the truth behind these words, let her calls turn into strangled gasps as tears threatened to burst from her eyes. "Chris, oh Chris," she kept repeating under her breath, as horrible images of what her son might be going through filled her mind. She just couldn't believe that after so much careful preparation, her son had been whisked away right under her very nose. That wasn't what was supposed to happen!

Paige, who had been standing nearby, then walked to her sisters and said quietly, "We should go back to the manor. We can't help him from here."

Phoebe glanced at Paige before turning to see Piper's reaction. The oldest sister had frozen for a moment, before nodding reluctantly. Even if she knew that it was useless to stand here and wait for her son, she still felt as if she had to stay.

Paige, having seen Piper agree, placed her hands on her sister's arms and called on her orbing powers to take them back to the manor, where Wyatt would be waiting for news on the vanquish, instead of the kidnapping of his brother. Paige really wasn't looking forward to this.

-)-(-

Wyatt had been alternating between pacing and looking out the window, trying to catch a glimpse of the family that had left to kill the demon who had been after them. At the moment, he was pacing through the living room, avoiding the various couches and tables mechanically, having completed the route several times before.

He just couldn't keep a knot of worry from developing in his stomach, telling him that all this had been a bad idea. Uncertain of what to do with this relatively new feeling, Wyatt had succumbed to the usual signs of anxiousness, which kept him in rapid movement as he moved from one end of the room to the other.

Hearing familiar chimes, Wyatt looked up as a swarm of bright lights appeared and began to form into the shapes of three people. Wyatt refused to believe his eyes and closed them briefly before opening them again and realizing the truth. His mother and aunts were back at the manor, but Chris hadn't come.

"Where's Chris?" he asked gruffly, trying to keep his feelings from projecting themselves in his voice.

His aunt Phoebe, probably sensing his emotions, glanced at him sadly as his other aunt explained shortly.

"A couple of demons took him."

Hearing this, Wyatt collapsed into a seat, feeling as if his stomach, which had been previously knotted, had dropped into the depths of hell. He'd been so sure that something was going to go wrong, but he hadn't expected this. His brother had been kidnapped by a couple of demons.

Not trusting himself to say anything, he sat there quietly as his mother struggled to take control of the situation.

"Paige, go and grab Chris's shirt from the laundry," Piper was ordering. "Phoebe and I'll meet you in the attic, so we can scry for him." Purposefully, she didn't instruct her oldest child to do anything, knowing with her maternal instinct that Wyatt would be useless until he was able to get over the fact that his brother had been taken by the minions of evil.

The three sisters left to start working, leaving Wyatt where he was, still in shock, and still sitting. They would have loved to help out the young man, but, as it was, time was running out for Chris, who was their main priority at the moment. They had to find Chris, before it was too late.

-)-(-

Chris closed his eyes as the feeling of being shimmered filled his senses with disgust. While orbing felt so comfortable and natural to him, shimmering felt like someone was forcing him through a very small hole.

In fact, most of his disgust at being shimmered was probably due to the fact that it was all against his will. The demons grasping his arms hadn't been particularly merciful in their holds either, which resulted in Chris being unable to feel anything from his elbows down.

Finally solid, Chris opened his eyes to find himself in the underworld once more, but this time, flanked by two overly large and particularly ugly demons. Not a nice situation to be found in at any time.

Chris twisted, trying to free himself or at least loosen the death grips both creatures had on his arms, but it was all for naught. His arms were still caught tightly, and he was definitely not free.

Chris's mind began to race, trying to find a way out of this situation. He couldn't orb away, because of the demons holding on to his arms. If he did so, they would just come along, and he wouldn't be able to shake them off. His mother and aunts weren't around to help him either, and Chris had been counting on having them there for the vanquish.

For a moment, Chris found himself wishing that he'd listened to his brother's warnings and hadn't attempted to prove his point. Sure, he was still upset about being treated like a child, but proving he wasn't so didn't seem to be such a good idea from this perspective.

Not noticing the Charmed son's inner dilemma, the demons relentlessly walked on, dragging the young man along the floor as they headed towards the room where they could sense the Source's aura. It was flickering because of the power the room radiated, but it was there all the same.

Both demons knew that that room was a special one in which no one would be able to leave unless it was from the front door. And, as they would be guarding the doors themselves, they were pretty sure that nobody except the Source would be leaving that room in one piece.

In fact, they were a bit surprised by the lack of fight they'd gotten when they'd kidnapped the Charmed son. Having heard hundreds of stories of the power the three sisters wielded, and their fierce protection of the ones they loved, they were slightly disappointed by what they'd seen when they'd taken the boy away from them. Somehow, they'd expected more.

And the boy hanging in their grasps also seemed to be rather useless. He was quietly struggling instead of blasting the demons away with a well-placed blow, or simply disappearing. Ah, well, what else could they expect? He wasn't his brother, after all.

Finally, the trio arrived at a door inscribed with the demonic language, proclaiming that access to the room inside was prohibited to anyone except the Source and whoever he invited.

Smiling grimly, both demons stopped and waited quietly.

Chris, looking up at the sudden pause, noticed the ominous-looking door in front of him, and cowered slightly as it proceeded to open without any assistance.

As soon as the door had opened enough for someone to walk through, the demon guards pushed their captive forward.

Chris stumbled as they did so, and landed facedown on the dirty ground inside.

"Welcome to hell, Charmed son," a menacing voice said.

Chris looked up to see the Source of All Evil standing before him, a fire ball in his hand. The Source was smiling evilly, obviously ready to vanquish the young man.

Behind him, Chris heard the booming of the door closing. He was in big trouble now.

* * *

><p>(AN) Ooooh! Another cliffie! How evil am I? Please don't hate me! I'm doing regular updates! Poor Chris, doesn't he always seem to get into the worst situations? Will he survive? Will he make it out alive? Stay tuned for the next chapter!

BTW, I wanna thank all the people who Faved, Alerted, and Reviewed! Especially thanks to: Drunk, BlueEyedDreamer, Patry, and Funnie. I must say, I was very confused about two completely different reviews I got... one asking me to make Chris very powerful, and the other requesting that Chris have no additional powers. Sorry, there is no way to make absolutely everybody happy, but I'll try!

See you next week!


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

As the enormous doors shut, the Source and Chris stared at each other, carefully calculating what to do next. The Source wasn't too worried, seeing as he was a great deal more powerful than this pathetic Charmed witch, and thought that he'd easily be able to vanquish the kid. Chris's mind was racing, trying to find a way out of this situation. Quickly, he tried the first idea he came up with.

Calling on his orbing power, Chris channeled it through his body until he felt the familiar sensation of dissolving into many white lights. Smiling internally, he quickly headed towards the ceiling and in the direction where he could feel his home. For a moment, he thought that escaping from the sinister room would be easy, before he felt himself banging against something hard.

Surprised, Chris released his orbs and solidified. He landed on the ground with a nasty thud, cringing as he felt his back hit the dirty floor.

A low chuckle was heard across the room, and Chris turned to see the Source standing nearby.

"Did you really think it would be that easy?" he asked the young witch, amused.

Chris got back to his feet and faced the demon once more, this time a lot less sure of himself. This chamber had wards on it preventing anyone from magically leaving, so there was no way to escape other than the door, which had just ominously clanged shut. Desperately, Chris wondered whether his family would be able to sense him and orb in to save the day, and him, as well.

As if hearing Chris's thoughts, the Source smiled menacingly. "This room stops all magic from coming inside or going out, which means that your family will not be able to save you. They probably won't even be able to find you."

The demon's words had exactly the impact he'd desired. Internally, Chris was crumbling. What held him up was the knowledge that his family was always there for him. Now, he'd been cut off from them, which meant that he was doomed. There was no hope.

Still smiling, the Source made his fireball reappear. When the witch had orbed, he'd snuffed it out, not seeing any use for keeping it in his hand until the kid discovered what was going on. But now, the boy had such a helpless look in his eyes, which meant that it was the perfect time to move in for the kill.

Chris had been so focused on his thoughts that he barely noticed the fireball that suddenly came into being in the Source's hand. Instinctively, he ducked out of the way. Even if he felt like he was dying inside, he was still the son of a Charmed One, of Piper Halliwell, no less, and he would do absolutely everything to survive and to get back to his family.

The Source was surprised by this sudden act, but he swiftly recovered. His lips curling into a sneer, he murmured to himself, "Well, it wouldn't be any fun without a fight, would it?" He proceeded to form another fire ball, and threw it at the witch, who sent it flying back his way at the very last second. It was followed by a mental shove, sending the leader of the underworld a couple of steps back.

His lips turning into a snarl, the demon formed another of his special attacks. He hadn't expected this much resistance, not after having said to the boy that it was so hopeless. And sure, a little battle was always fun, but now, the Source was getting frustrated. He needed to get this kid out of the way soon, if he wanted to get to his brother.

His objective firmly in mind, the Source sent another fireball Chris's way, hoping the witch wouldn't dodge it this time.

-)-(-

"It's not working," Paige's voice called to her older sisters, who were standing at the Book, rifling through its pages in search of a spell to help them bring Chris back. The youngest Charmed One was currently moving a crystal over a map of San Francisco, as she'd been doing for the past ten minutes. She'd known it was probably hopeless, but she'd had to try nevertheless. However, now that her search had yielded no results, it was becoming very obvious that her efforts were futile.

"He must be in the underworld," Phoebe said to her, as she watched Piper furiously turn one page after another. They'd tried a few spells, as well as scrying, but nothing had worked so far. Piper was searching through the book once more, trying to find a way to bring her son back, but Phoebe knew that it wasn't going to do any good.

Before she dared say that to Piper, Wyatt orbed into the attic, ignoring the stairs as usual. His hair was messed up, his face projected worry, but his eyes showed a strong feeling of determination. Instantly, the sisters stopped what they were doing and looked at the Twice-Blessed.

Wyatt had heard the very last comment his Aunt Phoebe had made, and had made up his mind in an instant. Quickly, he announced his plan to the Charmed Ones. "I'm going down to the underworld to try and sense him there."

The Charmed Ones saw the logic in his plan, and, without any hesitation, Piper went to stand next to him. "I'll come with you," she said quietly but forcefully, letting her tone of voice tell everyone that she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

Wyatt nodded at his mother. He'd expected as much.

However, he hadn't been so sure about his aunts, who were now moving his way.

"We're coming too," Phoebe proclaimed, not even having to ask her younger sister her opinion. She knew Paige well enough to assume what her actions would be.

Wyatt smiled slightly, before setting his hand on his mother's shoulder and orbing down to the underworld, where he would hopefully be able to find his little brother. His aunts followed them there.

Just a couple of moments later, they arrived in an empty corridor, one of many in the underworld. Piper and Phoebe sneaked over to peek into the rooms, to keep watch, while Wyatt and Paige closed their eyes and searched for Chris. As they were both half whitelighter, they were usually able to sense not only their charges, but their family members as well. This power had come in handy very often, especially in their line of work. Now, they were putting it to good use trying to find Piper's younger son.

After a short while, they both opened their eyes. Piper, not missing the slight movement, instantly turned around to look at them.

"Where is he? Have you found him?" she breathed out, barely daring to hope. Phoebe turned to look at the two whitelighters as well.

Paige shook her head sadly, while Wyatt looked stunned. He couldn't believe that his powers, his almighty amazing powers, weren't helping him when he needed them the most. His little brother was out there, somewhere, probably dying, and there was nothing he could do about it.

For the first time in his life, Wyatt felt worthless and helpless, unable to help his endangered brother.

-)-(-

Chris was beginning to get tired. He'd dodged fireball after fireball, and more just kept coming. The Source seemed to be perfectly refreshed, as if he'd just drunk a cup of extra strong coffee, and was still full of energy. Chris, however, couldn't avoid the attacks forever.

A stinging burn suddenly burst in his shoulder, and Chris screamed hoarsely in pain, realizing that he'd tired so much that he'd taken a blow. Luckily, the fireball hadn't had as much power as the first ones had, so he wasn't dead. Unfortunately, he was now incapacitated by his wound, which meant the Source would have a clear shot.

"Prepare to die." The demon stated the phrase as if it was not a tired cliché, and formed another fireball in his hand. This time, he made sure to make it strong enough to vanquish the witch.

Chris closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable. It was hopeless… he was about to die.

(A/N) Oooh! Yet another cliffie! Yup, I tend to like those, they're fun. Anyway, what do you guys think will happen next? Chris is now injured and in the Underworld, and nobody can find him! Will Wyatt find a way to save him, or will Chris find a way to save the day?

BTW, I have good news about this story... we have now reached 10,000 hits! Isn't that exciting? I know I'm excited!

Thanks once more to my lovely reviewers: Patry (who still makes me laugh so much!), and Funnie! Love you guys! You make my day and (quite possibly) my week! Trust me, I've had a pretty hellish week... ugh...

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and I will see you next week, with the very net one, which will hopefully be as awesome, or even better! Read and Review, please! Reviews make me the happiest person in the world!


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

As Chris closed his eyes, waiting for his inevitable doom, memories came up to the surface.

_So it is true,_ he thought to himself, _when people are about to die their whole lives flash before their eyes._

The Source was oblivious to the Charmed son's thoughts as he prepared to launch a fireball at the cowering boy. He was convinced that, finally, the witch would be vanquished, and he'd be able to take on the most powerful creature of them all, the Twice-Blessed. This blow would cripple him beyond aid, and not allow him to reach for his almighty magic in his time of need, allowing the demon to have the upper hand and send him following his brother into death. This was easier than he'd thought it would be.

Chris didn't see the demon, as he was immersed into a strange array of memories, some of which he didn't even remember he possessed. There he was at Mikey Morris's birthday, and his mother was hectic with worry over the marble he'd swallowed. Then, he was at school, watching Wyatt dealing with the bullies who'd been bugging him earlier. As he remembered this, Chris's mouth twisted into a grimace. All his life he'd been protected by his brother, his mother, his aunts, everyone. When would he finally protect himself?

The memories kept on coming. His mother nursing him back to health after an unusually severe flu, his first demon fight, his sister's birth. The memories were in no particular order, and they varied from good ones to awful ones, such as the scare Chris had when his grandfather had had to be put into the hospital after his lung problems were detected, or watching demon after demon show up at the house and try to kill the family off.

Chris's thoughts were partially focused on these memories, but he couldn't stop thinking about how he was never able to stand up for himself. In fact, today was probably the first time he confronted a demon alone.

_Nice way for a first time to turn out,_ he said to himself sadly.

But then, a new thought entered his tired mind. What if he used the spell and weakened the Source just long enough for his aunts to come and take care of everything themselves? He didn't have the power to kill this demon himself, but, if his aunts arrived, he could definitely do it. He'd be saving himself, even if he was counting on someone else to come in the end. Chris was going to finally be able to call himself a Halliwell.

Chris opened his eyes. All these thoughts had barely taken a few seconds, and, as such, the Source's fireball was still heading towards him.

Without barely a second thought, Chris sent the fireball heading towards the demon, to distract him, while he ducked down and frantically pulled back his sleeve to start saying the vanquishing spell, which would save him.

The Source recovered quickly, and stood up, growling unintelligibly. However, Chris was ready for him. Standing up straight, the young man held one hand out and began reciting the spell he'd scribbled onto his arm earlier that day.

"Prudence, Penelope, Astrid, Melinda," he chanted.

As he did, the Source realized what he was doing, and laughed. "You really think that you, all alone, will be able to defeat me?" he asked. "You're not that powerful, only your brother is," the demon taunted.

Chris didn't stop his chanting, as he continued reciting his ancestors. The Source's taunts only served to fuel his magic, which he felt pooling into his hand, readying the spell. "Astrid, Helena, Laura and Grace," he said, focusing all of his strength into defeating the Source. Suddenly, from his wounded shoulder, he felt a new energy. It wasn't exactly magic, but, brighter, somehow. Chris knew instantly that it was his life force, but, without pausing, added it to the magic in his palm.

The Source launched a fireball, but Chris simply dodged it and continued with his recitation. He only had a few lines left. "Halliwell Witches, stand strong beside us," he said, his voice faltering slightly when he used the last plural pronoun. There was no 'us', he was alone.

The Source felt the slight hesitation, and tried to approach the young witch. However, there was a strange barrier of magic around him, which the demon couldn't penetrate. The ruler of the underworld gasped as he realized what was going on, and quickly tried to conjure up another fireball.

He was too late; Chris was already reciting the last lines. "Vanquish this evil from time and space."

The Source was engulfed in a wave of flames, and he screamed as he felt his body burning away. He couldn't believe that he'd been defeated by the younger Charmed boy, and he growled at the witch one last time before he was entirely consumed.

The flames exploded outwards as the Source was completely vanquished. Chris, too weak to do any more, was thrown against the walls of the room. He felt his head crack against the unforgiving stone, and he groaned, unable to make a louder sound.

The shockwaves then stopped, and Chris fell to the ground. He could barely look up to see his handiwork, but he struggled to get back to his feet, so he'd be able to leave this terrible room. He stared at his hands as he got to his knees, and then to his feet. He straightened as much as he could before taking one step, and then another.

-)-(-

Wyatt had been leaning against the cold and filthy wall, feeling like there was absolutely no hope in the world. His aunts and mother were busy discussing their next step, Piper perilously close to tears. He, however, couldn't even bring himself to cry about his little brother. He felt so lost and empty, as if Chris's disappearance had left a gaping hole in his soul.

"We could always try the 'To Call a Lost Witch' spell," Paige was saying.

"But, if you can't sense him, doesn't that mean that there's a magical barrier stopping us?" Phoebe answered. "We can't get him out from out of there that way."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Piper exclaimed, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "We have to find him."

Wyatt barely listened to the women talking, as he buried his face in his hands, grateful for the darkness that soothed his mind.

Suddenly, a tiny spark flared to life on his radar. It was Chris, Wyatt knew it. He watched the little spark carefully, terribly aware that Chris's energy seemed much diminished and he looked very close to death.

Gasping, Wyatt stood up, and quickly, without any explanation, grabbed the sisters to orb away.

-)-(-

The orbs reformed in a dark room, whose walls and floor had been scorched by flames. There was a place near the middle where an extremely black spot was, probably the source of the whole burning.

Wyatt looked around the room, before noticing a person making his way towards them. His head was down, his hair was obscuring his face, but it was obviously Chris, his little brother.

"Chris," Wyatt whispered, and his mother and aunts gasped quietly beside him.

Piper began walking to her son, her arms out, her face showing the amount of worry she was feeling. "Peanut," she said tenderly. "Are you ok?"

Chris thought he was hearing things when he first heard a whisper say his name. But then, when he heard his mother's voice call him the childish nickname, he looked up to see her, his brother, and his aunts standing there, not too far away from where he'd vanquished the Source.

Too tired to do anything else, Chris managed half a smile, before he felt a darkness intrude upon his sight. Wounded and in pain as he was, Chris gratefully threw himself into the black.

Piper had seen the little smile on Chris's face, and had been looking over his wounds, when suddenly his eyes rolled up in his head, and he collapsed. Piper rushed forward and caught him, staggering a bit under his weight.

Wyatt approached, and helped her lower Chris onto the ground, where Wyatt placed his hand over Chris's limp body to start healing him. There was no warm comforting glow.

"What's wrong?" Piper asked, looking at her son, her brow creased and tears threatening to gush forth once more.

"I don't know," Wyatt said, his face contorted in a grimace as he used every ounce of his will to force his healing powers to work. He could feel them there, but he couldn't access them. "Come on," he muttered, as he held his hands over his brother's body. "Come on," he said in a whisper.

Paige, dreading the very worst, knelt by Chris's side and placed two of her fingers on Chris's neck, to check his pulse. After a few seconds, she looked up, her calmness almost eerie as she said only two words. "He's dead."

* * *

><p>(AN) What a cliffhanger! Can you guys believe that I just did that? Well, yes, I did... sorry... don't kill me! Wait until the next chapter before doing anything drastic!

Anyway, I want to thank the many people who reviewed the last chapter, this story has reached over 50 reviews! I am so excited! Thanks to: Drunk, Nosside, Xander (I wish I could respond to you personally), Patry (still in love with your reviews! :D ), gracelovesglitter, and Funnie. You guys are the best! And thanks to all those who put this story on their Favorites or Alerts. You're the reason I keep writing!

BTW, whoever catches the reference to a Charmed season seven episode and lets me know where the reference is and which episode it comes from, will get a special sneak peek of the next chapter! (send it in a pm, and I'll respond with the sneak peek!)

Please review if you can! I'll see you all next week!


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Wyatt barely heard his beloved aunt Paige pronounce his younger brother's death. "He can't be dead… he just can't be," he kept saying to himself, as if the mantra would protect him from the obvious truth.

Chris couldn't be dead, not after all they'd gone through to try and get him home safe and sound.

Wyatt didn't feel the tears begin to run down his cheeks, or the sobs that suddenly started racking his body.

"Chris," he whispered to the immobile body in his arms. "Come on, Chris, come back."

A startled gasp coming from Phoebe forced him to look away from his brother's pale and still face, and up to Chris's ghostly soul.

Chris was standing there, semi-transparent, looking rather tired. He looked at the family members who were there with him, and, for a moment, he found himself wishing that he'd had time to see his little sister, his father, or his cousins and uncles one last time. In fact, he found himself longing for more time to do the many things that he'd promised he would do before he died. It was too late now. Chris would never get to graduate, get a job, have a serious relationship, or continue with the family legacy. He wouldn't be able to watch old movies with Mel, joke around with his cousins, or try to beat Wyatt at basketball again. His life was over, and all those things that he loved to do, he couldn't do them anymore.

Smiling sadly at his aunts and mother, who were staring at him, ghostly Chris got down on his knees and faced his brother. "Watch over them, Wy," he said quietly, knowing deep in his non-corporeal heart that those words would probably keep the young man from doing anything stupid in his grief.

Wyatt couldn't stop staring at the ghost of Chris, but when he heard those words, his face adopted the usual stubborn expression. "You're not leaving, Chris. It's not your time to die yet."

Chris stood up. "I'm afraid it is," he said, before turning to look at the entrance of the room, where a figure familiar to the three sisters was standing.

As she recognized Death, Piper threw herself on her son's body, yelling out "No! You're not taking him!"

Death stepped into the room, shaking his head. "We've been over this before. When it's someone's time to die, you've got to let them go." His voice was calm, yet tired, as if he was used to having this argument. "You can't fight me," he said in a whisper, yet everyone in the room heard him as clearly as if he'd said it into their ears.

"We can try," a determined voice said, and with new strength, Wyatt began pouring everything he had into his healing ability, holding his hands over his little brother's dead body.

The ghost of Chris shook his head sadly. This was not the way he'd planned to go. Hell, he'd thought that he'd die once he was extremely old, but, that had been taken away from him. But, still, even if he felt that this wasn't so bad, except for all that he regretted not doing, he didn't want to leave his family, especially his brother, this way. Wyatt was taking this so hard; he didn't even seem to believe that Chris was really dead.

Unable to do anything about it, the dead man stepped towards Death, who was now holding out his arms, as if he was welcoming him.

"You can't take him from me again!" screamed Piper, feeling her heart become cold in a familiar way. She could still remember Leo telling her that Chris had died, so many years ago. Even if that was Chris from the future and not the boy she'd truly raised, she'd still felt the loss keenly, and had been devastated for a long time after. And now, her son, the Chris she'd raised and saved from an evil future, was dead all over again.

Feeling the strong emotions in the room, Phoebe's knees buckled, and she landed on the floor, trying to deal with not only her sisters' and Wyatt's sadness, but her own as well. It wasn't easy for an empath in that sort of situation, and Phoebe felt herself perilously close to passing out from everything she was feeling.

Paige could feel herself tearing up as she watched her nephew die for the second time. She was the only one present who'd been there at the first passing. Now, she had to go through it all over again. And yet, she felt stronger than her sisters, and, with force, she turned to Death, who was a lot closer than he'd been just a few seconds ago. "He's not ready to go," she said in a quiet but firm voice.

"Aunt Paige, please," Chris whispered, his voice not being able to speak louder than that. "It's ok."

"No, it's not," Paige answered, her voice breaking slightly on the last word. "He's still alive, otherwise, his soul wouldn't be lingering here."

Death looked the same as he did when first arriving. He was used to dealing with the Charmed Ones, and yet, every single time he met them, he became more and more exhausted. "But he will be completely dead in just a few more moments. That's why I'm here."

Chris had been watching what was going on as he stood there in all his ghostly glory. His brother wasn't looking up from trying to heal him, his mother and Aunt Phoebe had collapsed, and now Paige was arguing with Death himself. Chris could hardly believe all this was going on, and while he wanted to stay and comfort his family, he felt drawn to the man dressed in black. He knew that he was about to die, and his family still wouldn't accept it.

Chris looked back at Wyatt, who still had that determined look on his face, and who was still holding his hand over Chris's wound. His eyes were filled with pain, and his mouth was quivering, as if he couldn't keep the sobs inside his throat any longer. Seeing this, Chris struggled against the pull Death had on him, and tried to go back to his brother. He had to be with Wyatt, he just couldn't leave him like this.

As if suddenly sensing Chris's resistance, Death looked up at the spirit, now frustrated. At the same moment, Wyatt's hands began to shine as his healing abilities were activated.

"It's working," Wyatt said, barely daring to believe in what he'd just accomplished. "I'm healing Chris!" he then said excitedly at his mother, who instantly looked up and held Chris closer to her.

Paige was the only one who saw the struggle that ghostly Chris was going through. On one hand, he still felt attracted to the darkness of Death, but, on the other, he could feel his body calling him back. Finally, Chris surrendered, and he closed his eyes as his spirit vanished and returned to his body.

The physical Chris suddenly gave a little gasp under Wyatt's hands, and Piper started crying once more, this time with happiness, since she knew that her son was returned to her.

"It seems that I am no longer needed," a serious voice said, and only Phoebe and Paige turned in time to see Death vanish into the shadows.

Meanwhile, Chris was struggling to breathe deeply. He was still immersed in blackness, and although he knew that he'd been unconscious for a while, for some reason, he felt as if he'd just been dreaming the whole thing.

Finally, all the pain in his body vanished, although his exhaustion didn't, and Chris was able to tiredly open his eyes and look up at his mother's tearstained face. He frowned slightly, and then asked, "Why are you crying?"

Piper didn't answer. Instead, she drew her son into a hug, while Wyatt took advantage of the moment to wipe his eyes dry on his sleeve. Now that his brother was alive once more, it wouldn't do for him to see Wyatt with tears on his face.

Phoebe smiled, relieved with the change of emotion in the room, and she stood up and joined Paige. Together they watched the joyous reunion of mother and son, with Wyatt sitting nearby, smiling widely. They would interrupt in a little while, reminding Piper that her husband was probably worried sick by now, and then they would all orb to the manor to greet the anxious Leo. But, for now, they'd let her and Chris enjoy the moment.

* * *

><p>(AN) Did you guys really think that I would truly kill Chris off? He's my favorite character! But, I did realize that I should probably put in that kind of cliffhanger in my stories more often! I got such awesome reactions and reviews! How about it? No? Oh well.

Thanks so much to all those people who favorited and alerted my story! Especially thanks to my lovely reviewers: PhoenixRain26, Nosside, Iris Sanchez 125, Patry (LOL! I'm glad you didn't cry, and I hope you didn't do anything drastic this past week, I still have to finish the story!), SkaterGirl246, and Funnie! You guys are the best!

And last chapter's challenge, to find which is the reference to what episode in the seventh season of Charmed: Season 7, episode Imaginary Friends; Wyatt comes back to the future and sees his little brother, inquires whether that's "before or after he swallowed the marble", the reference is Chris's memory of him swallowing a marble at a birthday party. Congrats to both Iris Sanchez 125 and bstant who sent me messages with the answer in them, although I'm sure a couple other people found the reference too.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, are now more relieved, and can fully enjoy what is coming next. There are a couple chapters left, and soon, this story will be finished... or will it? Anyway, see you guys next week! Don't forget to leave me a review if you can!


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

The room was slightly dim, as the curtains had been drawn over the sunlight that was trying to make its way through the window. In the bed lay Chris, still looking rather pale and sickly after his very-near-death experience, fast asleep. His chest rose and fell rhythmically; a quiet snore was the only sound in the room.

The door was slightly ajar, but, after a loud knocking was heard, it was kicked open all the way by Piper. She was holding a large tray containing many bowls and plates, some of which steamed slightly, in her hands.

Chris groaned at the sudden noises, and he turned over to see his mother. He noticed that a couple of strands of her hair had escaped the bun which held the rest of it back. She was looking worriedly at him, a look which he was getting a lot ever since he'd returned from his most recent trip to the underworld.

"I'm awake, Mom," he groaned, as he sat up.

Piper, seeing her son adopt a seated position, set the tray over his legs, pointing out what was on it.

"That is chicken soup, and I want the plate to be clean when I come back up here. The drink is your Aunt Paige's special health potion, which I also want you to finish."

Chris grimaced when he saw the large glass containing a greenish and murky liquid. Piper noticed the expression on her son's face.

"Yes, I know it tastes gross, but you have to drink it."

Chris tentatively lifted the glass to his face, and, before he could even sniff at the contents, he quickly began to swallow them. He didn't allow himself to think about what the drink contained, or why it tasted so horrible, but instead, he kept gulping until he'd finished it. Gagging slightly, Chris set the glass down, ignoring his mother's approving look, and then he began to wipe his mouth on his sleeve.

Piper took a napkin, and slapped Chris's hand gently to keep his clothes away from his face. Then, she used the napkin to wipe at the remaining traces of the health potion from her son's lips. Chris, didn't move as he allowed his mother to clean him up.

Piper smiled, and then wrinkled up the napkin in her hand as she stepped back. Her son grabbed a spoon and dipped it into the soup, eager to get rid of the horrid taste that still resided in his mouth.

Seeing that she was no longer needed, the eldest Charmed One began heading to the door, when a quiet voice stopped her.

"Mom," Chris was saying, "can I ask you something?"

"Sure, sweetie," Piper said, changing directions and going back to the bed. She sat on the corner of it carefully, to make sure that the tray didn't tip over and dump its contents all over the clean sheets.

"When I was dying, I thought I heard you guys talking to Death."

Piper nodded. She remembered that quite clearly, even though she'd been racked with grief at the moment.

"You said something, though, and I can't stop thinking about it," Chris's face looked extremely serious as he spoke.

Hearing her son's words, Piper began to go over the meeting with Death yesterday, trying to figure out what she'd said that was troubling him so much.

"You said that he couldn't take me _again_," Chris emphasized the last word, before looking at his mom, confused. "I haven't died before, so, why would you say that?"

Piper froze as she listened to her son. Yesterday, she hadn't cared what she was saying, as long as her son was brought back. And, the mention of Chris's prior death, so many years ago, had apparently slipped out. None of her children, or Paige and Phoebe's, knew the sacrifice that the alternate future Chris had taken in going to the past to save Wyatt from turning evil. It had been a very well kept secret, that is, until yesterday. However, it seemed that Chris was the only one who'd found out, since Wyatt wasn't asking her about it at all, and he wouldn't have been able to resist knowing if he had paid attention to Piper's frantic cries. Of course, Wyatt had been extremely upset, which was why it was no surprise that he hadn't been listening. Chris, however, had been standing there in his spiritual form, and had been watching the whole situation from outside his body. He'd heard everything she said, and now, he wanted to know what was going on.

Piper sighed. It was time to tell her young son about how he'd returned from the future to save his brother, who was nearly a year old at the time.

"Chris, do you remember that once your Aunt Paige told you that we fought some titans and got turned into goddesses?"

Chris nodded. He remembered that story well, since the Charmed Ones' past exploits were practically legend in the family. Everyone knew about most of the demons they had faced, and they were all in the book as well.

"We didn't do it by ourselves. There was a whitelighter who arrived, and saved Paige when she was about to be killed. He was a young man, about twenty years old."

Chris frowned. He hadn't heard about this guy before. He'd been told that the titans had been defeated by his mother, and that was it.

Piper continued, "He'd come back from the future to save Wyatt, who had turned evil and was then the Source of All Evil." She didn't pay attention as her son's eyes widened and his breathing began to accelerate. "Later on, we found out that the whitelighter was a half-witch. That year, I also got pregnant."

Chris froze, as everything he was hearing suddenly made sense. It was so obvious now… _He_ was the whitelighter who'd come back from the future to save Wyatt. Chris could hardly believe the conclusion to which his mind had arrived, and, as he struggled to make sense of it, he noticed that tears had begun to roll down his mother's face.

"The whitelighter's name was Christopher Perry Halliwell, and, the very day he managed to find out who turned your brother evil, he was killed." By now, Piper was sobbing into her hands.

Chris wanted to hug his mother, but he couldn't move. He'd died? He'd come back from the future and died? "B-but I'm still alive," he breathed out, stuttering slightly in shock.

Piper looked up at her son's words, and she hugged him fiercely, no longer caring about the tray which she was jostling, causing a bit of soup to spill out. "No, because we made sure that that future never happened. Wyatt never turned evil, so you never had to go back to the past to fix everything," she said into his shoulder. Her son, after not moving for a few more moments, then put his arms around her. Piper's sobbing intensified, and Chris buried his face into his mother's hair, feeling sorry for his other self, who had died before he was born.

After several minutes, Piper pulled back from her son, and wiped at her eyes with the wrinkled napkin which she was still holding. "You should finish your soup," she said, her voice breaking slightly as she stood up.

Chris glanced down at the food, which he had completely forgotten, and smiled.

His mother began to head out. As she walked through the door, she heard a muffled, "Thank you," and she smiled sadly before heading downstairs.

Chris dipped his spoon into his soup once more and began to stir it thoughtfully. He hadn't expected that answer, and now, he was sure that he would never forget about what he'd been told. Now, everyone protecting him made sense. They felt guilty about what had happened all those years ago, and wanted to keep it from happening again. It wasn't that his family thought he was weaker than Wyatt, it was that they'd already lost him once, and they didn't want to do it again.

Chris grinned as he leaned back against his pillow. He put his arms behind his head as he thought of how he longer had to prove himself to his family, since he'd done it such a long time ago. He'd shown everyone back then: he was just as strong as Wyatt was. He wasn't in his brother's shadow anymore. He was Christopher Perry Halliwell, a witch in his own right, and the son of a Charmed One.

* * *

><p>(AN) Awww! Wasn't that adorable? And very very different from the last chapter? Now, I know that not too much happened during this chapter, other than Piper spilling the beans on past Chris, but it was necessary. He had to know eventually, right? And if nobody had told him, he would naturally have been confused about why they'd been talking to Death in that way. Anywho, I hope this chapter was enjoyable to all of you guys, and I am sorry to say that there is only one chapter left! Don't worry, though, the story doesn't quite end here, I don't think!

Anyway, I want to thank people who Favorited, Alerted, and most of all, those who reviewed! Nosside, PhoenixRain26, annaangel23, Funnie, Mrs-Fanfiction and Patry (I'm glad you're liking this story so much!)! You guys are the best!

And yes, although this story is drawing to the close, have no fear! The next chapter will be posted soon, along with a little surprise! See you guys soon!


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Wyatt struggled to put on his jacket as he hurried through the living room and to the front door. It was a lot harder to do both things at once than he thought it would be, especially since he had to navigate through the couches and tables. However, he managed to finally pull the jacket on, and he shrugged, satisfied, to settle it down over his shoulders. He didn't notice the picture frame he'd knocked over, which had luckily survived the fall to the ground after getting struck by a flailing sleeve. All that was important was that he was ready... but someone else wasn't.

Frustrated, Wyatt sighed as he looked up the stairs. His brother was up there, gathering up the potion vials by hand instead of doing it by magic, like Wyatt usually would.

Ever since Chris had completely recovered from his experience with the Source of All Evil, he'd become a great deal more eager to participate in Wyatt's usual demon hunts, as long as they didn't interfere with his schoolwork. In fact, he sometimes appeared to even relish using magic to defeat the evil creatures, although he still refused to use it for the most simple of things.

Wyatt wasn't complaining too much, though. He was extremely glad that Chris had finally stopped rejecting everything that had to do with them being witches and had accepted their birthright. Also, it was a great relief that his brother would no longer try to do everything by himself, but accept the help of his older sibling. Wyatt had to admit, that although the experience they'd been through had been awful and terrifying, something good had come out of it.

"Chris!" Wyatt called loudly, up the stairs. "If you don't come downstairs right now I'm leaving without you," he threatened, unaware of how much he sounded like his mother at that moment.

As soon as he finished his call, a loud thump was heard, and then Chris appeared, holding several potions in his hand. He ran down the steps, his feet loudly alerting everyone in the house that he was in a big hurry. Stumbling slightly, but managing to keep himself upright, he arrived at the bottom floor, smiling sheepishly up at his older brother.

Wyatt just shook his head as he took the vials from his brother's hands and tucked them into his jacket pockets. "You know, Chris, you could have saved yourself five minutes and a lot of sweat if you'd just orbed, like I usually do."

In response, Chris grinned wryly. "Maybe, but at least I'm working off Mom's cooking. If you keep orbing so much, you're not going to be as fast or energetic as I am soon." Laughing slightly, he poked the older Halliwell in the ribs. "In fact, I think you're starting to reach that stage now."

Wyatt's eyes narrowed as he looked at his little brother. "I may not be as fast as before, but at least I can still do this!" Without warning, he reached out and grabbed Chris around the neck. Chris struggled mightily against his brother's greater strength, but was unable to prevent knuckles being rubbed against his skull. "I think I'm still stronger than you are, little bro!" Wyatt laughed as he easily resisted Chris's futile attempts to free himself.

"Stop it, Wy!" Chris protested, starting to feel more like normal again, instead of the Charmed son who'd come back from the future to save his brother.

As they struggled, a small figure came into the room, holding a book in her young hands. Melinda looked up from her reading to see her older siblings apparently wrestling by the door. Slightly confused by the way they were acting, since it was something that they hadn't done in a long time, she watched them for a moment. They'd been doing this sort of thing a lot more frequently ever since Chris had nearly died. It was strange, and although Melinda had been very angry after finding out that she'd been left out of the whole thing, she was grateful that now her brothers got along so much better.

After a while, she saw that they weren't stopping, and that they'd apparently forgotten what they'd been doing earlier, and she inquired, "Weren't you going to go on a demon hunt or something?"

Hearing his little sister's voice, Wyatt finally released Chris, whose hands instantly went to his hair, which was wildly sticking out in all directions. He groaned as he tried to smooth his brown locks down. "Great, thanks, Wyatt. I have class after this!"

Melinda just smiled, and quietly told her brother, "It's not so bad, actually." She went up to him and quickly patted down his hair, effortlessly managing to make it look a lot better.

Chris grinned at his little sister in thanks, as Wyatt opened the front door of the house. "We should get going," he was saying. "You don't want to be late to class, so let's hurry and vanquish this demon." Chris began to head outside, before Wyatt followed, saying something that he knew would frustrate his brother even more, "And I'm driving."

Melinda laughed as Chris began to complain, but his voice was cut off abruptly as the door closed behind the young men. Still holding her book, the teen peeked out of the window to spy on her brothers, who were getting into the car, apparently continuing to tease each other. Wyatt had won the argument, so after a minute, the sound of squealing tires was heard, and Melinda smiled as she quietly walked over to one of the couches and sat down, opening her book once more. The brothers were working together as they always should have been, as a team. Everything was as it should be.

-)-(-

The Seer stared into her mirror, watching as Wyatt and Chris dashed off in their car, smiling and joking as they drove through the busy streets. The Source had failed to end both of their lives, like he was supposed to do, and instead, had gotten killed himself.

With a loud shriek of anger, she threw the mirror across her room of treasures, and it bounced against a chair that restored energy instantly. Falling to the floor, it shattered into a million pieces.

The Source had been vital to her plan to kill the Twice-Blessed, but now that he was dead, the Seer was vulnerable again. Screaming once more, the woman proceeded to blast several chests that held unimaginable horrors, only managing to scorch the sides, before finally quieting.

Eerily calm, she walked over to her mirror, and, cooing, she knelt down to retrieve it. As soon as it was in her hand, the glass became whole once more, and it reflected her face before swiftly showing the brown-haired Charmed Son, his expression serious. "If you want something done right you have to do it yourself," the Seer muttered, unconsciously echoing the Source, before stroking the face in her mirror. "I'll see you soon," she said quietly, her breath fogging up the glass. It was time for her to act, instead of letting others do the dirty work.

Leaving her mirror on a nearby table, the Seer left her quarters. Her mirror kept showing Chris, unmoving, unchanging. It was a reminder of the one she had to kill to get to the Twice-Blessed. That boy was going to die.

* * *

><p>(AN) Ta da! And this is the end, or is it? How was that for a surprise? Yes, there will be a sequel to this story, and it should be posted sometime the next month! This has been an amazing ride, everybody, and I've enjoyed it as much as you have, I'm sure. Every time I saw a new review, or that someone had Faved or Alerted, it made me even more excited to post the next chapter! And now, this story is finished, but the sequel shall be up very very soon!

I feel so proud of this story, and of everyone who gave it a chance! You guys have made it a pleasure to write for you! Now, I want to thank the people who Alerted, Faved, and reviewed the past chapter: PhoenixRain26, Hadies baby girl, Nosside, Patry (didja like the surprise?), FirePony16, CharmedOne24, and Funnie! You guys are so awesome! Especially those people who made sure to review each and every chapter after they began reading this story! Your beautiful reviews gave me confidence to keep posting, knowing that people appreciated it!

And now, without further ado, I pronounce this story COMPLETE! and will continue this in the sequel, which I've named Collected Memories. I hope to see all of you guys in that story, and know that I am eternally grateful for your support.


End file.
